Circa 450 head of “serious quality” stock are booked for Cootehill Livestock Mart’s forthcoming fatstock sale, which carries over €2,000 in prize money, management has confirmed to That’s Farming.
100 cows, 120 heifers, 180 bullocks and 50 calves will come under the hammer on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022.
The yard will open from 7 am, with judging to take place at 9:30 am before the sale at 11:30 am.
Classes at Wednesday’s sale as follows:
- Best beef cow
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Best heifer with no teeth
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Best heifer with two or more teeth
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Best bullock with no teeth
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Best bullock with two or more teeth
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Best calf (born 2022), any breed, male or female
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
- Cow-maker of the future
🥇€100 🥈€80 🥉€50
Overall supreme champion:
🏆 €250
Reserve champion:
🏆 €150
Prize to buyer of top-priced animal
🏆 €100
Drury’s comments
Speaking to That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane, ahead of the sale, Steven Drury, managing director, said:
“Only one entry per animal. There is no entry fee; however, every class winner must be sold to receive the prize money.”
“Our export facility will be available on Thursday, December 8th, 2022, from our in-house lairage for buyers from Northern Ireland who purchase eligible export animals, which is highly recommended for sellers,” he added.
Export service
Previously, That’s Farming interviewed the mart’s export lairage manager, Noleen Curran.
She told this publication that the mart’s new DAFM-approved export lairage facility is “proving to be a popular hit” with its growing customer base.
She explained: “Our export lairage facility is an important feature within the mart as it provides another sale outlet for local and regional farmers.”
“Northern buyers can use this facility to export stock they buy in the mart and indeed from any mart to go to Northern Ireland, in particular, and indeed to go on to several other beef markets.”
The export facilities came into being in early 2022. It was originally opened to export dairy stock sold in the mart bi-weekly but has expanded to include cattle from any location.
It has been running since early 2022; however, the dedicated Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine office facilities are now fully operational.
The mart exports cattle every Monday morning and Thursday afternoon (other days can be facilitated with 72 hours’ notice), but all stock needs to provide two business days’ notice in any event.
The mart – which draws customers from Cavan, Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Dublin, Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Louth – re-opened in March 2021 under the management of the Drury family as part of a ten-year lease.
Read more on this news article.
