Raphoe Mart – Cattle Prices – 26-01-2023
According to Ann Harkin, there was a “flying” trade ringside ring online for the large entry of cattle that came under the hammer at Raphoe Mart, Co Donegal on Thursday, January 26th, 2023.
The mart manager reported that strong, forward stock “remained in demand” – selling from €2.70/kg to €3.50/kg.
They reached up to €1630 over the weight for males and €1260 over the weight for females.
Plainer types and FR cattle, she reported, sold from €2.20/kg to €2.40/kg. Lighter lots also met a brisk trade, selling from €2.80/kg to €3.60/kg.
Aberdeen Angus cattle changed hands from €2.50/kg to €3/kg, bulls/bullocks pushed from €2.50/kg to €3.50/kg, while heifers clicked from €2.60/kg to €3.60/kg.
Meanwhile, at Thursday’s sale cattle sale, cull cows sold from €700/head to €2700/head.
Raphoe Mart 26-01-2023
- Bulls over 600kgs – €885 to €1630 over the weight;
- Beef bullocks – €1055 to €1625 over the weight;
- Store bullocks – €360 to €1490 over the weight;
- Beef heifers – €825 to €1260 over the weight;
- Store heifers – €335 to €985 over the weight.
This week’s sheep prices
According to Ann Harkin, there was an improved trade around the ring for all on offer at this week’s sheep sale on Monday, January 23rd, 2023.
Springers made from €120/head to €198/head, ewes with one lamb sold at €208/team and fat ewes traded from €80/head to €280/head.
Hogget prices:
- €70 to €100 for 30-37kgs;
- €100 to €120 for 38-44kgs;
- €120 to €135 for 45-49kgs;
- €135 to €144 for 50-64kgs.
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.
From humble beginnings, the late Harry Colhoun from Carnone began as the first mart manager. Then, the late John Witherow from Convoy managed the mart until Ann took over the reins.
“I remember working until 6:00 a.m, the morning after a sale with 2,000 cattle in the yard. On the market, speeded up sales, as most farmers used the marts then. Farmers have other ways out now; there is livestock sold on DoneDeal and livestock sold privately.”
Read her profile.
 from cattle sale of cull cows, heifers and bullocks held at Raphoe Mart, Co Donegal on 26-01-2023.){kind=link}