Non-quality-assured stock ‘pulling the market back’

Some stock are starting to show the effects of weather, according to William Jones of Ballymahon Mart, although he notes that good bullocks are still selling well.

William expects numbers at marts to tighten from around the middle of this month.

Maurice Brosnan in Gortatlea agrees, saying that some cattle are looking “washed out”, especially among the more belly Friesian types. On the flip side he feels that once numbers tighten over the next few weeks at marts, prices might yet rise after the big surge is over.

“There appears to be no shortage of demand for your good forward bullock,” he adds.

Joe Clune of Sixmilebridge says that some cattle in Clare have been housed over the last while because of the weather and are now improved when presented for sale as a result of not having to deal with the wet as well as gaining from a diet of silage and meal.

Joe also points out that farmers who bought cattle in the spring to qualify for their Single Farm Payments are now at the point where they need to sell, and some of these animals are presenting a problem for the market.

“A lot of these lads are not quality assured and are turning up with the likes of non-quality-assured 2½-year-old Angus. They are taking maybe €1.70-1.90/kg because they need feeding and will probably have to left there until after Christmas when they should probably be gone now.

“They are pulling the market back, and that’s not helping the quality-assured man who’s doing everything right and who should be getting maybe €2.10-2.20/kg.”

Maurice Brosnan agrees that those of a potential longer keep were now being penalised by buyers, but there is still “far less of an issue around those that are non-quality-assured once they are forward enough and well fleshed enough to make the factory this side of New Year”.

In the east of the country the issues facing the trade are the same as those in the west — too much rain and fields reaching saturation point.

George Candler of Kilkenny also reports a lot of cattle showing the effects of the poor weather and again singled out the plainer Friesian as the worst effected.

As fields have become sodden, the dairy fraternity have begun off-loading increasing numbers of cull cows, with some of those coming straight from the parlour struggling to make the €/kg mark.

Returning to Ballymahon, this week’s sale will see 50 Limousin and Charolais suckler cows go under the hammer from one of the biggest suckler herds in that area. Is their owner deciding to streamline his operation ahead of the new CAP regulations?

William Jones says the owner’s long-term plan is to get into dairying. At least this man has the option of changing enterprises.

For suckler farmers, the lack of an aggressive defence of the sector by the farm organisations has left many believing they have ended up being little more than expendable environmental pawns in discussions at the Cabinet table.

In the Know — around the marts

Gortatlea

With numbers big yet again, especially among the cull cows, Maurice Brosnan noted that while the better store bullock was still a fine trade the wet weather had left a lot of plainer cattle looking “washed out”, especially the Friesians.

This left the poorer black and white making €1.50-1.60/kg, although the better one was still capable of €1.85-1.95/kg.

On the Angus side the 400-500kg bullock operated from €1.90-2.00/kg, with the odd €2.10/kg.

Anything of quality and forward enough to make the factory this side of the New Year continued on firm ground.

Ballymahon

William Jones reported good numbers of weanlings but noted a shade less heavy stock on offer. “Good cattle are still going well but the in-between bullock is easier,” he said.

Among the better 450-470kg bullocks, prices ranged from €2.80-3.00/kg, while 550kg good continentals sold from €2.50-2.70/kg.

Good 300-340kg farmer-type bull or heifer weanlings saw “€3/kg freely”, with the general run of 300kg weanling heifers €2.60-2.85/kg.

Cull cows cracked on well at €1.70-2.15/kg. This week’s sale sees 50 in calf suckler cows go under the hammer.

Sixmilebridge

Although top-end stores are back around 10-15c/kg over the last six weeks, Joe Clune stills sees plenty of satisfied sellers: “Men are happy it’s been a good back-end and cattle are weighing well.”

Those top-end 450-550kg continental bullocks made €2.50-2.60/kg, with €2.20-2.40/kg being a fair average overall. Angus and Herefords from 500-600kg sold for €2.00-2.20/kg, while heavy 600-700kg bullocks saw tops of €2.45-2.55/kg.

Among the heifers, 350-400kg sold from €2.35-2.75/kg with 450-500kgs making €2.60-2.70/kg.

Kilkenny

Another good-sized sale with 1,150 on offer. Quality stores and heifers sold well, although George Candler felt that the recent poor weather had not helped plainer Friesians.

On the prices side 600kg+ bullocks averaged €2.25/kg, with the tops making up to €2.70/kg, while forward stores averaged €2.16/kg to a top of €2.75/kg.

In the store section those from 400-500kg averaged €1.97/kg, with lighter lots averaging €2.15/kg to a top of €2.70/kg.

Among the heifers, beef sold from €1.90-2.46/kg with forward and lighter heifers €1.70-2.70/kg.

Kilrush

There were 300 on offer and a fine turnout, given the day of the year and the weather.

The top end of the bullocks included four 476kg Herefords who averaged €2.41/kg, a 515kg Friesian at €2.15/kg and two 395kg Limousins at €2.63/kg.

Among the heifers were a 545kg Charolais at €2.20/kg, with three 303kg Charolais averaging €2.70/kg, while two 460kg Angus made €2.00/kg.

Among the cull cows the stand-out performer was a 710kg Limousin at €2.17/kg, while well-fleshed 700kg Friesians operated from €1.60-1.70/kg

Ennis

With close to 1,000 weanlings on offer, and quality starting to fall off, trade was “getting tougher” for all but the very tops.

Among those tops on the bull side were three 240kg Charolais that averaged €3.66/kg, and two Limousins at 280 and 285kg that made €3.17 and €3.19/kg respectively, while four 288kg Herefords averaged €3.35/kg.

Among the heavier bulls were three 428kg Charolais at €2.66/kg, a 405kg Belgian Blue at €3.01/kg and a 400kg Limousin at €2.75/kg.

On the heifer side four 252kg Charolais averaged €3.05/kg with a 242kg Limousin making €3.54/kg, while a quality 375kg Limousin cracked on to €3.60/kg.

Kanturk

A busy sale with just over 700 cattle on offer saw prices hold steady.

Samples included on the bullock side seven 555kg Herefords at €1,210/hd, six 430kg Angus at €930/hd, with four averaging 450kg making €950/hd.

On the heifer side three Angus averaging 535kg made €1,190/hd with two 440kg Herefords making €900/hd, while a 740kg Angus had the factory boys all excited to the tune of €1,660.

Among the weanlings three 328kg Angus bulls averaged €700/hd, three 276kg Limousins made €660/hd as did three 218kg Herefords.