Lesser lights rise up while the quality stock falls

THE cattle trade can be a funny animal at times.

The heifer and bullock trade seemed to have developed a type of cyclical motion over the last month or so; when one went forward in a given week, the other went into reverse.

Last week, however, that smooth motion seemed to develop a sort of speed wobble.

If the theory was to hold true, this week’s ringside tables should show bullock prices falling and heifers rising. It does and it doesn’t.

Heifer price movement is relatively restricted, being up a maximum of 3c/kg among the poorer-quality animals in the 500-599kg section while being down by exactly the same amount among the better animals at this weight.

Other movements across the heifer table see 1-2c/kg being added or shaved off prices in no particular order.

The bullock table is more uniform, with overall averages falling in unison by 1-6c/kg, with that 6c/kg or €30-36/hd fall coming in the 500-599kg section, while average prices for the better bullock dropped by 2-8c/kg.

That works out at a maximum reduction of €40-48/hd in the 500-599kg division.

However, price movements among poorer-quality bullocks on the ringside table give an indication that numbers maybe easing back and that the outlook maybe about to improve.

With the exception of the bottom quarter of the 500599kg section, which remained unchanged from its previous week’s value of €1.59/kg, every other bottom-quarter average on the bullock table improved.

While that improvement was not spectacular — 1c/kg among the poorer 600kg+ section to a maximum of 6c/kg at the bottom of the 400-499kg section — it is significant that it was those poorer-quality cattle that moved forward.

Even the bottom quarter of the 300-399kg bullocks moved forward despite questions as to whether the country will be swamped with poorer-quality light dairy stock come the spring.

You can have all the theories you like on why things happen, but in the cattle business there are two overall governors which do directly affect the trade — numbers and price.

As you read this, factory prices are between €3.90-3.95/ kg for bullocks and €4.00-4.05/ kg for heifers — that’s 20c/kg better than a month ago.

The other point is that mart numbers are falling, and in a reduced supply situation prices tend to rise anyway.

But why did the poorer animal get the lift when his better-conformation comrades all fell?

John O’Hanlon of Ballymahon mart has a theory. “I’ve had lads contact me looking for cattle because their accountant is telling them they will have a tax problem come year’s end if they don’t buy something.”

Now that’s a problem you don’t see every day in farming; must be the dairymen.