The year to date has been largely favourable for dairy farmers, with an early spring and good grass supplies quelling fears of forage supplies running tight. Combined with steady milk prices, there is much more confidence in dairy sales.

This freshly calved heifer born February-2017 sold for €1,550.

Reporting on yesterday’s dairy sale in Listowel Mart, Co Kerry, manager Barney O’Connell said they could have sold twice the number of dairy stock, with buyers full of confidence.

This nice-quality first calver born March 2017 sold for €1,700.

“We have been lucky in recent weeks to have special entries or clearances of top-quality stock, which is attracting many more buyers. Some are farmers who are expanding or converting to dairy, while we have farmers who like to keep numbers at a certain level and are repeat customers for small numbers at this time of year.”

This freshly calved March-2013 born cow in good condition sold for €1,330.

An entry of quality dairy stock sold briskly, with good-quality calved heifers selling on average from €1,500 to €1,700, with a few lots below this range.

Good-quality cows were also a good trade, according to Barney, selling from €1,150 to €1,400, with age and quality influencing prices paid.

This pedigree bulling heifer, born March 2017, sold for €860.

“The fact that the trade is good is also enticing some farmers who were thinking of cutting down numbers or getting out due to one reason or another to sell now and we have clearance sales booked in for the rest of the month and a very big sale next Wednesday.”

This pedigree bulling heifer, born March 2018, sold for €910.

Maiden heifers also met with solid demand, with weight for age a big consideration in prices paid. Good-quality heifers ranged from €850 to €950, with little deviation from these prices for good-quality lots.

This Belgian Blue bull, born 4-3-19 sold for €315

The calf trade has witnessed a significant improvement in the last two weeks, with Barney reporting that Friesian bull calves are drying up fast. This is creating more competition between live exporters, with light bulls selling from €70 to €90, while stronger calves for export sold to €120, with a selection attracting farmer interest sold to €150 per head.

This Aberdeen angus heifer calf born in mid-March sold for €170.

Angus calves made up a big part of calf entries and sold mainly from €150 to €250, with bull calves at the higher end and light heifers slightly below in cases.

This Hereford heifer, born 25-2-19 sold for €285

Barney says farmers focusing on presenting top-quality calves are being rewarded, with continental calves selling to €350, with a selection of Charolais-cross calves selling to €400 per head or higher.

Commission rates are 2% for dairy sales.