Mart reports
Castleisland
Very strong online demand for heifers saw lighter lots of Angus selling from €2.202.55/kg with 350kgs making €770/hd and 310kgs pushing on to €790/hd.
Among the heavier lots was a selection of nine 550kg Limousins, potentially R-U grades, which also averaged €2.55/kg. Mart manager Nelius McAuliffe noted strong demand and prices around the €2.40/kg mark for the nice 300kg heifer.
Angus bullocks over 500kgs averaged from €2.10-2.25/kg. with lighter lots selling from €1.90-2.10/kg. Continental cull cows sold from €1.70-1.95/kg, with strong Friesians making from €300-380 over the €1/ kg. Friesian stores averaged €250-300 with their weight.
Cahir
Mart manager Jonathan Sullivan noted that having tested the strength of the mart trade with smaller numbers of heavy cattle over the last month, those same customers were now returning with bigger numbers.
This included Friesian sellers who were now seeing returns of up to €1.95/kg ringside for 650kgs. Among the stores, the 500kg Angus made from €2.15-2.30/kg. Cull cows were very strong with the better continentals making close to €2.30/kg.
Roscrea
Cull cows were also among the star performers here with a top class selection in the heavy division seeing up to €2.30/kg paid for 800kg+. In the 700-750kg section, the better ones saw averages of €2.10-2.25/kg. Among the bullocks, €2.50/kg got you a 625kg Charolais and/or four 528kg Limousins.
Mart manager Michael Harty noted there seemed to be fewer better quality Friesians about with the good ones at 450-500kgs making from €1.85-2.00/kg. The average 480-500kg Hereford made up to €2.10/kg.
Enniscorthy
The story here was of a strong trade with beef bullocks selling from €700-970 over the €1/kg and forward types making from €610-830 over the weight . Heavy Friesians sold for €450-640 over the €1/kg. Light continental stores
averaged €450-680 with the weight.
There was a special entry of Simmental heifers which saw their prices averaging from €1,150-1,490/hd, while the general run of forward store heifers ranged from €1,050 to €1,450.
Light heifers sold from €450-730 with the €1/kg. Continental cull cows made from €1.66-2.00/kg, with Friesians making from €1.371.66/kg.
Baltinglass
As elsewhere there were bigger numbers and improved prices. Samples among the bullocks included two 570kg Limousins selling for €1,290/hd; a 550kg Hereford making €1,230, and a 625kg Shorthorn cross that hit €1,190.
Among the lighter bullocks, two 420kg Limousins made €920/hd, while aggressive bidding pushed a single 410kg Limousin to €1,000. Further back in the weights were a 225kg Angus at €520, and a 280kg Friesian heading to pastures new at €500.
Kilrush
The overall turnout was strong, but calf numbers were down with Herefords selling from €150-315/hd and Angus types making up to €185/hd. Continental calves topped out at €395/hd.
Good continental cull cows sold from €1.70-1.93/kg, while heavy Friesians made from €1.50/kg to €1.60/kg. Among the lighter heifers, a 330kg Charolais made €2.63/kg with a 335kg Limousin seeing €2.51/kg.
On the bullock side, eight Herefords weighing 298kgs averaged €820/hd or €2.74/ kg, with six at 508kgs averaging €2.29/kg or €1,170/ hd. Four 328kg Charolais made €910/hd.
Mohill
Mart manager Stephen Hannon reported yearling heifers as selling from €2.50-3.00/kg with the tops hitting €3/kg. In the 500kg+ category, prices ranged from €2.45-2.55/kg.
Among the cull cows, Limousin and Charolais types averaged €1.70-2.20/kg.
Commenting on the trade, Stephen noted that the lighter bull weanling was performing well but that the 500kg “has far fewer potential homes” outside of the feedlot and as a result is a harder sell.”