Demand continues for quality cattle in Raphoe – Harkin

Farming News/Mart Reports – Raphoe Mart – Cattle Prices – 24-08-2023

According to Ann Harkin, there was a larger entry for this week’s cattle sale at Raphoe Livestock Mart, Co Mayo on Thursday, August 24^th, 2023.

The mart manager reported that demand continued for quality stock, which sold from €2.80/kg to €3.20/kg and up to €3.80/kg for lighter lots.

Strong forward cattle pushed from €2.50/kg to €3.20/kg, while medium weights went under the hammer from €2.50/kg to €3.40/kg and lighter weights stood from €2.60/kg to €3.80/kg.

At Thursday’s sale, Aberdeen Angus cattle sold from €2.20/kg to €2.80/kg, Friesian cattle pushed from €1.80/kg to €2.20/kg and fat cows climbed from €950/head to €2060/head.

This week’s sheep prices

According to Harkin, there was continued demand around the ring for all sheep on offer with “brisk” bidding throughout.

There was a large entry of lambs this week with prices improved on last week.

Lambs sold at:

• €70 to €90 for 28-33kgs;
• €90 to €110 for 34-40kgs;
• €110 to €130 for 40-45kgs;
• €130 to €145 for 45-52kgs.

Other categories:

• Fat ewes sold from €70/head to a high of €194/head.

Interview with mart manager

Previously, as part of our week’s 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.”

Read Ann Harkins’ profile.

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.

Read more on this mart report on www.thatsfarming.com