Cattle Mart Trade This Week
In this week’s Talking Trade, we look at prices in cattle marts across the country, including Balla, Ballinrobe, Dowra, Ennis and Kilkenny.
Aurivo Balla Mart
According to Stephen Hannon, numbers were “similar to the previous week” at Aurivo Balla Mart’s most recent cattle sale on Saturday, July 22nd, 2023.
He reported that circa 450 cattle cross the scales at the sale, with highs of €1,940 for bullocks, heifers to €1,950, cull cows to €1,940 and suckler pairs to €2,120.
Bullocks 300kg to 400kg averaged €2.85/kg, while those in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket levelled at €2.85/kg and heavier types of 500kg plus sold for an average of €2.70/kg.
Quality, heavy bullocks 700kg+ made up to €1300 over the kg, with “the best of the heavy bullocks bought online by a northern factory buyer” with highs of €1,910 for a 640kg entry.
In the heifer ring, this week just over 150 lots changed hands and “they were slightly up on the previous week”.
Lighter store heifers 300 – 400kg averaged €2.74/kg, while entries 400kg to 500kg levelled at €2.94/kg and those 500kg+ sold for €2.90/kg. Top of the town in this ring at €1,950 was a LMX at 660kgs.
Cows sold after bullocks in ring one with between €2.40 to 2.70/kg for quality types, according to Hannon.
Read more on this mart report.
Aurivo Ballinrobe Mart
According to Teresa Gibsey, assistant manager at Aurivo Ballinrobe Mart, Co Mayo, bullocks reached €2,180, while heifers topped at €1,660 and dry cows peaked at €1,880 at its most recent cattle sale on Wednesday, July 26th, 2023.
Gibsey reported that “some super quality” bullocks changed hands at this week’s sale, with returns from €780 to €2,180 per head or €2.05 to €2.73 per kg.
The average for bullocks north of 500kgs was €2.45/kg, while lighter bullocks 400 to 500 kgs levelled at an average of €2.21/kg.
Meanwhile, this week’s average price for dry cows stood at €1525 per head.
Heifer prices varied from €550 to €1,660 per head or €1.93 to €2.99 per kg. The average for heifers 500kg plus was €2.43/kg and entries in the 400 to 500kg weight bracket levelled at €2.47/kg.
Read more.
Dowra Mart
According to a spokesperson for Dowra Mart, a “slightly larger” entry came under the hammer at its most recent sale on Saturday, July 22nd, 2023.
Just over 330 lots changed hands with dry cows to €2240 for a CHX weighing 800kg, while a LMX heifer weighing 475kg sold for €1610.
Meanwhile, a bull weanling weighing 320kg made €1100, while a light CHX bullock weighing 280kg fetched €1000 and an AAX bullock weighing 845kg topped at €2230.
Read more on this mart report.
Ennis Mart
According to a spokesperson for Ennis Mart, a larger entry of almost 350 lots, including 20 calves, crossed the scales at its most recent cattle sale on Tuesday, July 25th, 2023.
They reported that the bull weanling ring witnessed had both farmer and shipping activity, with “some export activity” for heifers also.
The spokesperson said: “Again, some very strong prices were achieved in both weanling rings.”
“Quality was good overall today in both weanling rings. Good calves were on offer and continental calves hit €600 for a LMX heifer calf, born in May 2023 and out of a Charolais-cross dam. A very small entry of suckler stock saw highs of €2,200 for pairs,” the spokesperson added.
Read more on this mart report.
Kilkenny Mart
According to George Candler, a larger entry of some 750 lots crossed the scales at Kilkenny Mart’s cattle sale on Thursday, July 27th, 2023, writes farming journalist, Catherina Cunnane.
The mart’s auctioneer reported that “beef bullocks and plainer forward stores were a bit more difficult to get away.”
“On the plus side, cull cows met an excellent trade, which is hard to understand considering the reduction in quotes.”
“Heifers met a faster selling trade compared to last week. The sale resulted in a 98% clearance with cows and heifers at 100%,” he added.
