Dry cows are top of the town at €2,810 in ‘brisk’ trade in Raphoe

Raphoe Mart – Cattle Prices – 20-04-2023

According to Ann Harkin, there was a “brisk” trade around the ring and online for a large entry of cattle at Raphoe Mart, County Donegal, on 20-04-2023.

The mart manager reported that strong, forward cattle continued to be in demand, selling from €2.80/kg to €3.60/kg.

Meanwhile, at Thursday’s general cattle sale, medium weights changed hands from €2.80/kg to €3.80/kg, while lighter weights pushed from €3.00/kg to €4.10/kg.

Aberdeen Angus-bred cattle made from €2.50/kg to €3.20/kg, while Friesian-types varied from €1.90/kg to €2.40/kg.

Raphoe Mart 20-04-2023

• Bulls over 600kgs – €1025 to €1560 over the weight;
• Beef bullocks – €1080 to €1745 over the weight;
• Store bullocks – €700 to €1545 over the weight;
• Beef heifers – €630 to €1775 over the weight;
• Store heifers – €220 to €1295 over the weight.

Summary – €/kg basis:

• Bulls/bullocks ranged from €2.60/kg to €3.60/kg.
• Heifers varied from €2.70/kg to €4.10/kg.
• Fat cows sold for between €980/head to €2810/head.

This week’s sheep prices

There was a larger entry for this week’s sheep sale with an improved trade around the ring, according to Harkin.

At Monday’s sale, spring lambs made to €172/head, while hoggets maxed out at €177/head, ewes with lambs at foot soared to €300/team and fat ewes pushed to €242/head.

Summary:

• Ewes with one lamb – €120/team to €235/team;
• Ewes with two lambs – €160/team to €300/team;
• Fat ewes – €70/head to €242/head;
• Spring lambs from €150/head to €172/head for 41-55kgs.

Hogget prices:

• €110 to €130 for 37-44kgs;
• €130 to €150 for 45-50kgs;
• €150 to €177 for 51-65kgs.

Mart information:

• Address: Raphoe Livestock Mart, County Donegal.
• Contact: 074 914 5385
• Sale days: Sheep sale – Mondays at 11 am. Cattle sale – Thursdays at 11 am.

Mart reports:

You can find more mart reports.

Ann Harkin

As part of our Mart Focus, That’s Farming profiled Ann Harkin, a former bookkeeper, financial controller and current manager of Raphoe Livestock Mart.

Ann Harkin from Convoy, County Donegal, never envisioned a career in agriculture with no farming background until the late 1980s.

In 1989, she applied for Raphoe Livestock Mart’s secretary job and became manager in 2001 due to the late John Witherow’s tendering.

“I never was in a mart until the day I did the interview; it was a secretary and financial controller position, which I applied for as my career; it was not because of a love of farming,” she told That’s Farming.

“I never thought I would become a manager; it was the trust of the committee and the mart shareholders who had confidence in me. It was never a job in my wildest dreams did I think I would get because I was not from a farming background.”

Established in 1959, Raphoe Livestock Mart began with a committee and 270 shareholders, holding their first sale in July 1961. Each shareholder bought five pounds of shares and generated funds from their locality to construct the livestock mart premises.

Read her profile.