Mart Report: Us over-50s are the workhorses of the nation

Latest prices from Skibbereen, Dungarvan, Kilmallock and Kanturk

A Limousin cow born in 2014 and weighing 790kg sold for €1,870 at last Friday's Skibbereen Mart. June 18, 2021.

Well I had to laugh when I heard Dr Tony Holohan’s advice that only the fully vaccinated should travel abroad this summer.

I laughed my socks off for a good hour because the fully vaccinated, mostly those of us over the age of 50, couldn’t afford a Saturday night in Dunmanway, never mind a weekend in Kathmandu.

We (the over-50s) are the workhorses of the nation. We are the ones working off-farm and on, putting children through school, hoping to get some of them to college.

Two Hr Steers born in February 2020 and weighing 450kg sold for €930 at last Friday's mart in Skibbereen. June 18, 2020.

We are the ones still paying off a mortgage and possibly paying off a car or tractor loan, or both. And on top of this, paying out a mountain of money each year on VAT, levies and various government taxes. Upwardly mobile yes, but skint to the eyeballs absolutely.

If travel abroad was on the agenda for the fully vaccinated, they should have given the jab to the twenty-something brigade first and foremost and let us linger on in the background.

The marts at this stage are full of us fully vaccinated over-50s, and where will most of us be travelling to this summer? Well from Macroom mart to Skibbereen to Bandon and back again. Going abroad, my dear friend, is about as likely as going to the moon.

They can rest easy, there will be little travelling done abroad this summer if they are depending on us over-50s to do it.

Anyhow, we will start our travelling to the marts this week, beginning with a trip to Skibbereen where it seems the good weather is bringing out some right good cattle.

And again this week some nice money being paid for quality cattle at the west Cork mart, as the table below will attest. In Skibbereen on Friday dry cows sold from €70 to €1,080 with the kilo.

Heifers in Skibbereen made from €290 to €735 with their weight.

Four Lm steers born in May 2020 and weighing 398kg sold for €1,070 at Skibbereen Mart on Friday last. June 18, 2021.

Hereford and Aberdeen bullocks sold from €320 to €890 with the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €380 to €995 with the kilo.

Weanling bulls made from €305 to €690 at Skibbereen mart on Friday.

Skibbereen
Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
5	Hr	steers	700kg	1590
1	AA	steer	495kg	1140
3	Lm	steers	620kg	1550
2	Ch	steers	380kg	1060
1	Sim	heifer	565kg	1300
1	Lm	cow	790kg	1870
1	Ch	cow	890kg	1840

We travel to Dungarvan mart next, where mart manager Ger Flynn gave us this report following Monday’s cattle sale. “We had another excellent day of trading for all types of stores here in Dungarvan on Monday, with prices similar to last week.”

Dungarvan
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	AA	steers	575kg	1270
7	Hr	steers	348kg	910
8	AA	steers	445kg	1090
4	Lm	heifers	452kg	1030
3	Hr	heifers	351kg	820
1	AA	cow	705kg	1230
1	Fr	cow	610kg	960

650 stock went through the ring at Kilmallock on Monday last with the mart reporting “Cattle prices are at an all-time high, with 115 buyers at the ringside and online.

Bullocks at the Limerick mart sold for up to €1,520 a head or €2.81 per kg. A small selection of autumn 2020 born weanling bulls sold for up to €2.86 per kg.

Dry cows hit €1,540 a head or €2.01 per kg. Heifers were “unreal dear” according to the mart, and they sold for up to €1,570 a head or €3.00 per kg.

Dairy stock sold on Monday made up to €1,450 a head (paid for a three-year-old cow calved since last Wednesday). Up to €1,560 was paid in the suckler ring for a 15-year-old Simmental and her two Charolais heifer calves. Factory bulls made up to €1,760 a head and breeding bulls made up to €1,900 a head at Kilmallock this week.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
3	Hr	steers	395kg	880
2	Fr	steers	533kg	1160
1	Sim	steer	505kg	1150
6	Hr	steers	628kg	1320
1	BB	heifer	315kg	670
1	Hr	heifer	305kg	650
5	Hr	heifers	216kg	510

There was some serious money paid for cattle in Kanturk on Tuesday, Kanturk mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe gave us this report after the very strong sale of cattle.

“We had a small sale here on Tuesday at Kanturk Mart with 420 animals including 100 calves on offer.

“There was a very strong trade with cattle making great prices, with some disappointed customers as there wasn’t enough cattle to meet the high demand.”

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	AA	steer	905kg	2140
1	Hr	steer	505kg	1050
1	AA	steer	620kg	1500
1	Hr	heifer	590kg	1250
1	AA	heifer	525kg	1200
1	AA	cow	725kg	1200
1	Fr	cow	690kg	1140

Geraldine Walsh of Ennis mart gave us this report following Tuesday’s sale of calves, weanlings and sucklers.

“Numbers similar to last week and the trade could only be described as strong.

“Some good quality autumn born weanlings on Tuesday met a serious demand.”