Heavier stock light up the trade as mart numbers rise

Judging by the jump in mart numbers last week, it appears that many sellers resisted the initial temptation two weeks ago of rushing out to show their wares, preferring to wait and see how the renewed trade might develop before committing.

Another factor was the welcome arrival of significant rain. Kevin Murphy of Enniscorthy Mart explains: “Sellers were never going to commit big numbers during the drought as they knew that those buying probably didn’t have any more grass than they did.”

Now, grass is coming, and those wanting to buy can be confident that what they choose won’t go hungry.

So, is there a backlog in the system? The consensus among mart managers is that the rise in mart numbers could wane quite quickly. Enthusiasm for online trading, while reduced since the marts reopened, continues, with many marts reporting 20-30pc online sales.

Looking at the prices, the story continues to be the revival of the heavy, often out-of-spec beef animal, be it bullock, heifer or cull cow.

Across the country, that goodquality 650-800kg bullock that had you broke from eating nuts can now expect to make €800-1,000 with the €1/kg as demand from Northern buyers continues to underpin the heavy market.

One Southern factory agent said he could never figure out, after years of explaining to farmers that the market doesn’t want heavy carcases, “why men run cattle into such big weights”.

While the majority of farmers now operate to factory age and weight limits, there will always be the few who just love their animals to the point that it’s more important to them to get the full potential out of them than deliver what the market wants.

I could never figure out how five-year-old Wagyu beef is a world price leader when we’re constantly told it’s all about under-30-month production for bullocks, and less for bulls.

Now with processors in the North running tight on beef it’s that big

With processors in the North running tight, it’s that big carcase that offers the most efficient return

carcase that offers the most efficient return. As my late uncle Michael used to say: “When the weight stops, the money stops. Whatever the money is.”

On the store side Angus and Hereford types, be they bullocks or heifers, continue to make €1.80-2.10/ kg, with a shade more in places.

And 400-500kg continentals are always in demand, at €2.30-2.50/ kg, while good forward continental bullocks and heifers sold for €2.252.40/kg.

It wasn’t all good news, however, with several marts reporting that lesser-quality dairy-cross stock were “a difficult sale”. That said, your good ‘square’ Friesian store can still command €1.70-1.90/kg if he meets a couple of keen grass men.