Having spent last week giving out about the poor trade in the mart for light store cattle, this week found me at the mart selling light store cattle.

All seems to be quiet in the marts this week. Perhaps “too damn quiet” as they say in the cowboy films, just before the Indians attack.

A decision by Visa to reduce its fees on business debit card transactions through the Irish banks has been welcomed by Ireland’s national umbrella body for co-ops.

Health and safety risks are heightened at marts, with large numbers of cattle brought together in unfamiliar surroundings.

Micheál Martin is a clever man. Not only did he have the good sense to be born in Cork, but he was also the bright spark who put an end to smoking in public houses.

Today, May 26

It was all about Michael Creed in Macroom mart on Saturday last, with talk as to what kind of Minister for Agriculture he might make.

The number of mortgage solutions for loans in arrears that involves loss of ownership to the borrower is exceptionally high at almost 50%, according to a leading stockbroking firm.

The lorry driver on trial for assault causing harm to a detective at Fermoy Mart said yesterday that he stabbed the guard repeatedly in the hand with the key to his lorry, but only because he believed the officer was trying to get him out “dead or alive”.

A farmer protesting at Fermoy Mart about cattle with horns allegedly being sold to him caught a detective garda, pulled him in through the window of his truck and stabbed his hand with a metal object, it was claimed on the opening day of a trial yesterday.

The mart trade this week has seen a further slackening in numbers as the trade begins to ease itself towards the Christmas break.

A slight increase in the prices being paid by the factories for cattle is not reflected in the quoted prices, which remained unchanged at the plants for this week.

I mentioned last week that a lot of marts reported an increase in buyer numbers as men who’d been putting off buying returned ringside.

“We’re confident but need to improve,” and “Confidence has returned and the trade is improved” — similar comments from mart managers this week, first to sum up their counties’ prospects in the All Ireland hurling replay, and secondly to describe the mart trade.

The things I learned this week, while talking to mart managers and their staff.

Looking down through my notes on the week in the mart trade, I noticed one mart had significant numbers returning home unsold, while another saw prices lift, as dealers took profit on stock purchased previously at another sales ring almost 200 miles away!

By the time I had this week’s mart report completed, I had heard of stock being re-housed in Cork because of the wet, a scarcity of grass in Meath because of the cold, and a mart in Kerry that takes in foreign coach tours on mart days!

GOLDEN Vale Marts says it will cut sales days at Rathkeale Mart because livestock throughput is insufficient to justify operating costs.

Marts: The weanling trade is being driven by the scale of quality with a difference of more than €400 between stock of similar weight, as the margin between the prices being paid by export buyers and the home farmer trade continues to widen to a decisive difference in the return for producers.

Marts: Heavy continental bullocks were a superb trade at Bandon Mart yesterday where up to €510 over €/kg was paid for choice lots at one of the largest sales of cattle at the centre for some time.

Marts: Beef and store animals showed further gains at the mart sales yesterday with light stores gaining up to €50/head and an excellent trade for good heifers.