Kilmallock Mart saw an entry of about 80 calves in the sale on Monday last. Denis Kirby, Golden Vale Marts, Kilmallock, said that the sales so far have been small, but he expects numbers to take a sharp lift in the next two weeks as more dairy farms start calving.

In terms of the trade on Monday, he said it was strong and if they had twice the number of calves, they would have easily sold them.

There was export demand and farmer demand at Monday’s sale. Exporters were opting for calves from €75 to €100 per head, with farmers generally buying the better-quality Friesian bulls from €120 to €130/head.

Denis said that one trend last year was that farmers were feeding calves for a week or two longer in order to maximise sale price and he thought that would happen again this year.

About one third of the calves on offer were Angus. Angus bulls sold from €175 to €365, while heifers sold from €200 to €355. In both cases, the higher prices were paid for better-quality older calves.

Hereford bulls sold from €200 to €355, while heifers sold from €175 to €330. Again, the stronger three- to four-week-old calves were reaching the highest prices.

There were a small share of continental calves on offer. These were a very strong trade, with plenty of farmer demand. Prices hit €430 for a top-quality November-born Limousin bull.

The cattle sale saw an increased entry and a strong trade once again.

Forward store cattle were not available in very large numbers, but were in strong demand. Bullocks over 500kg sold mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg, with Angus and Herefords making from €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg.

Lighter stores from 400kg to 500kg were more abundant and were met with strong demand once again, particularly for better-quality types. Prices ranged mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.30/kg, with top-quality cattle selling for over €2.40/kg.

The heifer trade was similar to the bullock trade, with plenty of buyers active. Heifers from 450kg to 550kg sold mainly from €2.10/kg to €2.30/kg for continental types.

Commission rates for cattle are 1.5% to the seller and €9.30 upwards to the buyer. Commission rates for calves are from €3.50/head upwards.