As a young teenager my daughter Emily dyed her hair purple. When asked why, she replied: “I’m complicated.”
here’s not a lot you can say to that to advance the conversation, so myself and my wife buried our misgivings and left well enough alone.
It’s clear that a slight nervousness has crept into proceedings over where factory prices may go as we edge closer to the traditional autumn cuts.
That combined with the continuing high turnouts, especially of lighter stores, has caused the market to pause.
Those high turnouts have been driven by sellers deciding to take the current strong prices and the need for some to move stock due to grass shortages.
While numbers of heavy factory stock have eased somewhat, that fall-off has been compensated by increased numbers of lighter stock appearing.
Most marts report increasing entries of 300-500kg stores, with those in stronger dairy areas reporting that buyers have become “more selective”, especially when lighter Friesians and dairy-bred Herefords and Angus appear.
Both Michael Harty of Roscrea and Jim Bushe of New Ross said some of those less fancy types were back by €20-40/hd last week, with Delvin reporting some of those lighter, poorer-quality Friesians as now making €1.40-1.50/kg.
At the start of July, poorer-quality Friesians in the 300-399kg division averaged €1.53/kg, as against last week’s €1.37/kg —a drop of €48-64/hd in four weeks.
It’s a similar story among the 300-399kg lesser-quality Herefords and Angus: down from €2.02/kg to €1.86/kg — also a drop of €48-64/hd.
At the other end of the table, 600kg bullocks averaged €2.26/kg last week, which is 12c/kg or €72/hd less than a month ago.
However, the overall ringside average price of 400-499kg bullocks at €2.17/kg is only 1c/kg less than a month ago, while the 500-599kg steer at €2.23/kg is also only 1c/kg down.
On a separate note, Jim Bushe in New Ross wonders how this year’s winter finishers may get on.
“Factory prices are currently good but so too is the price of your store,” he said. “Factor in increased meal, machinery, straw and silage costs and I wonder whether winter finishers might actually be worse off than last year?”
On that point, seventeen 500kg Friesian bulls mentioned in my mini mart report from Roscrea last week are interesting. Bought in one lot at €960 apiece, they have the advantage of all being comrades and after a possible spin on grass could be housed with a minimum of fuss. Given a good push they could possibly be gone by the New Year.
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In the Know – Around the marts
Cahir
With a yard of 300 cattle on offer, numbers of heavy stock were less, but this reduction was balanced by a bigger show of stores.
Among the cull cows were a 660kg Friesian at €1,130, with a second Friesian at 705kgs making €1,160.
Two 697kg Friesian bullocks averaged €1,450/hd, while a second at 650kg made €1,310.
On the store side, four 416kg Limousins made €1,060/hd, with five 440kg Herefords averaging €1,040/hd, while a 520kg Angus made €1,170.
Heifer prices included nine 428kg Angus at €950/hd, four Charolais at €1,010/hd and a 305kg Limousin at €750.
Kilkenny
At 810, numbers were steady but George Candler said buyers were “more selective”, with tightening grass supplies also curbing enthusiasm.
In the bullock section prices ranged from €1.70-2.55/kg, with those from 500-600kg €1.75-2.70/kg.
The 400-500kg bullocks made €1.60-2.90/kg, with lighter stores making €1.60-3.10/kg.
Beef heifers sold from €2.00-2.53/kg, with forward stores making €1.90-2.76/kg, while lighter heifers sold from €1.70-2.50/kg.
Friesian cull cows made from 95c/kg to €1.90/kg, with continentals selling from €1.55-2.42/kg.
Ballinakill
There was a show of 560 here, with heavy stock continuing to grab the headlines as heavy bullocks sold from €2.50-2.68/kg, with beef heifers making €2.34-2.95/kg.
Among the stores, forward bullocks made from €2.40-2.76/kg, with lighter types €2.30-2.70/kg, while store heifers sold from €2.20-2.65/kg.
In the weanling ring, bulls made €2.30-3.75/kg, with weanling heifers selling from €2.10-3.02/kg. Dry cows sold from €1,140-1,800/hd.
Delvin
There were 550 cattle on offer here, with 50 of those in 600kg+ bullock section, where prices averaged €2.25/kg, with the top call seeing a 685kg Limousin making €2.72/kg.
In the 500-550kg section prices averaged €2.05/kg, with the tops seeing €2.54/kg.
There was a strong entry of Friesian bullocks under 500kg, ranging from €1.40/kg for the plainer type to €2.00kg for better one.
Among the heifers the 300-500kg animal averaged €2.14/kg, with a top call of €2.56/kg, while lighter heifers averaged €2.30/kg.
Roscrea
Michael Harty also noted that while the trade was in general firm he was seeing “more stores earlier”, leading to some of the lighter, plainer stock being “a little easier”.
He reckoned the strength of the trade along with tight grass supplies was influencing farmers’ decisions to possibly sell earlier.
Sample prices among the bullocks included three 431kg Limousins at €1,200; a 540kg Limousin at €1,510; and five 442kg Herefords averaging €1,020/hd.
Seventeen 500kg Friesian bulls presented in one lot averaged €960/hd — not glamorous but an interesting buy should beef prices hold.
New Ross
Jim Bushe reported an entry of 674 cattle on Saturday with prices continuing strong for all classes, with the possible exception of the 300-400kg Friesian or Angus bullock which he reckoned was back €20-50/hd.
This left your lighter Angus and Friesian bullock at €250-500/hd over the €/kg, with heavier Friesians making from €500-870/hd over the weight.
Continental store bullocks sold from 545-1,045/hd over the €/kg, with store heifers making €480-875/hd over the €/kg.
Beef bullocks sold from €850-1,270/hd over the €/kg, with beef heifers €720-1,105/hd over their weight.
Castlerea
There were 500 cattle presented here last week as numbers remain above normal.
With extra customers, especially for the bullocks, prices continued strong, particularly for some of the lighter, fancier bullocks: a 480kg Charolais at €3.04/kg; a 475kg Charolais at €2.93/kg; and a 430kg Limousin at €3.28/kg!
Among the mid-range weight ranges, a 535kg Angus saw the hammer at €2.62/kg with another Angus at 595kg also making €2.62.
On the beef side a 910kg Charolais saw €2.25/kg with another Charolais at 740kg making €2.49/kg while a 665kg Simmental did €2.60/kg.