The mart trade last week showed no let-up in its ability to chew up cheque books as prices either held firm or advanced.
his was partly because numbers were down — some marts scheduled for St Patrick’s Day were rescheduled for the day before or the day after, and some with stock to sell decided to hold off, with the wet weather also playing a part.
Darragh Barden of Mohill mart, however, reported a good turnout for his special spring heifer sale last week, but said a number of his colleagues across the west reported a fall in entries.
He noted that while Northern buyers of breeding heifers were keen, they appeared to shy away from the all red Limousin heifers, preferring ones with the odd bit of white in their coat. More milk possibly?
Looking at the prospects for the suckler herd in his part of the world, he said that after a run of big suckler cow sales earlier in the year, he is yet to see many of those same farmers return to buy replacement heifers.
Joe Clune of Sixmilebridge agreed, saying he is now seeing farmers who sold out their sucklers returning to his mart, looking to buy store cattle for grazing.
“These are new to the trade and they are part of the reason demand is so strong,” he said. “This on top of the fact that after a very strong start to the year, numbers are now no better than they would be normally be, but demand is getting mental.”
Further south in Kilkenny, George Candler reported a rise in numbers last Thursday, with trade strong on the back of increased demand.
Numbers were also good in Ennis, where increased demand for forward heifers lifted their price by €30-50/hd, while bullocks remained steady, with anything of quality on the continental side selling for €3.00/kg to €3.70/kg.
Trade for cull cows also showed no signs of waning, with tight forward continentals selling for €2.80-3.20/kg and better forward Friesians making €1.70-2.00/kg.
Turning to the calf trade, the poor weather over the last few weeks coupled with strike action in French ports has not helped business. Most shippers got back to operating a near normal service last week, but reports today indicate further difficulties in France.
In Kilrush, poorer Friesian bulls fell to €5/hd as those buying took stock of milk replacer costs, with one man telling me that at six weeks, that €5/hd Friesian will have cost him a total of €120/hd, “and nothing in that for labour”.
However, the better, stronger Friesian bull is meeting a steadier trade, with farmer demand holding them at €50-90/hd here.
A large entry of Angus calves sold for €40-275/hd, with Belgian Blue and Hereford crosses selling to tops of €335 and €365/hd respectively.
In Kanturk there was an entry of 750 calves. Friesian bulls made €25-80/hd, with Angus bulls selling for €150-250/hd, while Hereford bulls made €120-375/hd.
On the heifer side Angus sold for €80-220/hd, with Herefords making €100-280/hd and Friesians €190-250/hd.
In general, then mart numbers were less in the west last week while in dairy areas numbers were maintained to improved, with numbers of dairy-type calves in these areas continuing to increase.
The trend of lighter bullocks under 400kg returning to being the dearest animal per kilogramme continues.
The better 300-400kg continental steer is averaging €3.35/kg, with better Angus and Herefords at this weight on €3.03/kg.
At the other end of the scales, better 600kg+ continentals averaged €3.24/kg while his 600kg+ Angus or Hereford comrade made €3.01/kg.
In the Know – around the marts
Raphoe
There was another good entry here with trade for all classes holding firm.
Continuing strong demand for forward stock them to €3.00-3.60/kg, with the better 600kg+ bull selling for €1,095-1,695/hd over the €/kg. Mid-range weights also sold well, mostly for €2.90-3.70/kg, with lighter stock on €3.00-3.90/kg.
Aberdeen Angus cattle sold for €2.50-3.30/kg with Friesians €2.00-2.60/kg. Cull cow stores started at €710/hd, with heavy animals peaking at €2,120/hd.
Kilkenny
Numbers were up at 1,050 as the trade continued buoyant with George Candler noting “no shortage of customers for quality”.
Bullocks over 600kg sold for €2.30-3.35/kg with stores from 500-600kg making €2.20-3.45/kg, 400-500kgs on €1.80-3.40 and lighter lots €1.80-3.90/kg.
Beef heifers made €2.40-3.28/kg, with forward types €2.40-3.24/kg and lighter types €2.00-3.25/kg.
On the cull cow side Friesians sold for €1.25-2.50/kg with continentals €1.70-3.00/kg.
Ballinrobe
Trade was “superior” at this show and sale, with bullocks selling for €2.42-3.74/kg and averaging €3.12/kg. The top call among the heavy bullocks saw an 815kg Belgian Blue X make €3,040, while among the stores a 470kg Limousin X saw the hammer at €1,760.
Heifers ranged from €2.61-3.75/kg, with 400-500kgs averaging €3.10/kg and heavier stock €3.15/kg; 200-350kg weanling heifers averaged €3.42/kg, while weanling bulls sold for €2.42-3.63/kg, averaging €3.15/kg.
Dry cows sold to €2,380 for an 860kg Limousin, while a Charolais with Charolais heifer calf at foot made €2,320.
Sixmilebridge
Joe Clune reported a very strong trade driven by the fact “there are just not enough cattle in the system at the moment to satisfy demand”.
The typical 520-530kg bullock sold for €3.10-3.15/kg, with Herefords of similar weight on €2.70-2.80/kg.
On the heifer side, 350-450kg continentals averaged €3.00/kg, with Angus from 450-550kgs on €2.90/kg.
On the cull cow side continentals sold to €3.00/kg with better heavy Friesians €1.90-2.10/kg, while poorer parlour types topped out at €1.70/kg.
Mohill
The spring heifer sale saw strong prices with Darragh Barden saying: “You really couldn’t buy anything under €1,000 with the weight”.
A large entry of yearling stock made €350-440/kg, reaching €1,480/hd. Demand for lighter stock was driven by farmers; top-drawer 450 kg Charolais and Limousin heifers made €1,600-1640/hd with those around 550kg coming under the spell of feedlots at prices up to €1,700/hd, while breeding heifers topped out at €1,980/hd for a 600kg red Limousin.
Ennis
The entry here fell just short of 650 on Thursday, with demand for forward heifers pushing their averages up by €30-50/hd.
Among those heifers the top calls included a 695kg Charolais at €2,210 and a 625kg Limousin at €2,040. In the lighter division a 430kg Hereford made €1,230, with a 475kg Limousin selling for €1,490 and another 475kg Limousin clicking €1,930 or €4.75/kg, while a 485kg Piedmontese X sold to €2,010 or €4.14/kg.
There was no let-up in demand for bullocks either with five 409kg Charolais hitting €3.71/kg as anything in the continental line sold from €3.00/kg.
An entry of eighteen aged bulls averaged €2.30/kg, with a 1,215kg Charolais selling to €2,920.
Baltinglass
Trade here was also good for store bullocks and heifers. Numbers of forward/heavy cattle were limited, however.
Among the heavier entries were 620kg Belgian Blue X and Angus heifers that sold to €1,350 and €1,610/hd respectively, while three 500kg Limousins made €1,280/hd.
At the lighter end, two 320kg Limousins made €900/hd with one at 260kg cracking on to €920.
Among the bullocks a 520kg Limousin sold to €1,430, with two 470kg Limousins averaging €1,160/hd. In the lighter division the best of the Limousins from 370-380kg sold for €920-1,150/hd.