IN THE KNOW

Macroom

A huge sale with just shy of 1,800 animals presented, with half of that number being calves. Trade for those 900 calves was strong with shipper types selling from €10-70/hd, while your better Friesian bull sold to €160/hd.

Angus and Hereford bulls made from €150-300/hd with heifers averaging €150-280/ hd. Among the store bullocks, Friesians sold from €1.80-2.10/ kg with beef making from €2.30-2.60/kg.

Angus and Hereford bullocks sold in general from €2.60-2.90/kg while your continental bullock made from €2.80-3.20/kg. Continental heifers were improved, averaging from €2.60-2.90/kg.

Ballymote

The entry here reached 300 with David Faughnan noting an exceptionally large crowd and very strong demand for lighter stock.

While not all present were bidders, those that were had deep pockets, with your better Angus bullock selling to €3.50/kg and Angus bullocks out of the dairy herd selling from €2.70-2.90/kg, while yearling Angus heifer of 320kg sold from €1,250-1,260/hd.

Strong demand for beef saw bullocks average €3.07-3.25/kg with a 910kg Charolais making €2,800.

Dingle

With a total of 230 cattle, many of them heavier stock, and 250 calves, one word described the trade — “serious”. On the calf side, shipper Friesians made from €35-60/hd, with stronger Angus selling to €300/hd and continentals to €500/hd.

Among the yearlings, 300kg Hereford bullocks made up to €950/hd with 400kg Charolais heifers topping out at €1,240/ hd, while 300kg Angus heifers hit €820/hd.

In the forward division, there was equally no shortage of cash with 561kg Hereford bullocks making up to €1,550hd, followed by 542562kg Friesians that sold from €1,340-1,560/hd, while 570kg Angus made €1,650/hd. Serious indeed.

Delvin

Although ground conditions are not favourable, Elliott Potterton noted no adverse effect on trade as his 320 cattle met a “lightning trade”.

Bullocks under 500kg averaged €2.71/kg, with Angus topping out at €3.25/kg. In the 500-600kg section, prices averaged €2.78/kg with the top call being a 560kg Limousin at €1,600.

Ballymahon

William Jones also noted numbers were picking up despite the poor weather last week. Prices to were also stronger with demand both bull weanlings and lighter bullocks improved. On the weanling side, 330-340kg Limousin and Charolais sold to tops of €1,350-1,430/hd while on the bullock side R grade 415kg Charolais made €1,600/hd.