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05 September 2018

Kieran Mailey on 05 Sep 2018

Improved cattle trade at Keady Mart

After a quiet summer, there was much more life in the weekly cattle sale in Keady Mart, with higher prices on offer.

Kieran Mailey

5 September 2018

This Limousin heifer, born December 2016 and weighing 600kg, sold for £1,400.

This Charolais bullock, born January 2016 and weighing 630kg, sold for £1,235.

This Limousin bullock, born February 2016 and weighing 645kg, sold for £1,250.

This Charolais bullock, born April 2016 and weighing 620kg, sold for £1,310.

This Charolais bullock, born July 2016 and weighing 600kg, sold for £1,240.

This Charolais bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 565kg, sold for £1,120.

This Limousin bullock, born May 2016 and weighing 725kg, sold for £1,470.

This Limousin bullock, born May 2016 and weighing 685kg, sold for £1,410.

This Limousin bullock, born November 2016 and weighing 615kg, sold for £1,130.

This Simmental bullock, born March 2016 and weighing 650kg, sold for £1,215.

This Simmental bullock, born July 2016 and weighing 675kg, sold for £1,375.

This Limousin bullock, born May 2016 and weighing 665kg, sold for £1,395.

Camera at the mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Keady Livestock Mart on Friday last. After a quiet summer with smaller shows of cattle, Friday’s sale saw a much larger entry of store and fat cattle on offer, with 200 animals forwarded for sale.

There was a noticeable increase in the numbers of slaughter-fit and short-keep cattle present and with a firm beef finishing trade at present, buyers were much more competitive compared with recent weeks.

As a result, there was an improved trade across all classes of stock, with sale prices up on previous weeks.

Mart manager Brendan Reavey commented on the sale, stating that there was a much more positive mood among buyers and this was reflected in the trade.

He added that the number of buyers attending sales has also increased as more cattle are being presented, with good-quality forward heifers being met with the biggest demand.

Forward heifers were a terrific trade, with continental types an easy sell. Prices ranged from 210p to 230p/kg at the top end of the market for good-quality U grading animals. Plainer heifers sold from 180p to 205p/kg.

The heifer trade peaked at £1,510 for a 650kg Limousin animal. The top price per kilo for heifers saw 233p/kg paid for a 600kg Limousin animal, which sold for £1,400.

Lighter heifers were also met with firm demand, with prices of £790 to £1,080 for animals weighing 400kg to 500kg, while a 355kg animal sold for £830, or 233p/kg.

Bullocks reached a top price of £1,605 for a 765kg Charolais animal, while the top price per kilo bullock was 223p/kg for a 610kg Charolais animal which made £1,360.

Heavy bullocks over 600kg typically sold from 205p to 220p/kg for U grading animals, with several animals selling from £1,350 to £1,470 per head.

Plainer animals were an improved trade on 180p to 200p/kg, with slaughter-fit cattle selling above the £1,300 mark.

Bullocks weighing 500kg to 600kg also sold upwards from 200p/kg for good-quality continental types, with plainer types typically selling closer to 190p/kg.

Lighter store cattle saw prices reaching 228p/kg for a 460kg Charolais animal, which sold for £1,050.