April and May are normally the two busiest months of the year in many marts. Calf sales and grass cattle sales dominate, with lots of cattle and lots of customers.
April 2020 is a different story, with marts around the country closed to the public and a limited ability to facilitate trade. However, all marts are very keen to do what they can for both buyers and sellers to facilitate sales. One of those marts is Carrigallen, which on Monday had around 100 animals pass through the ring.
This four-week-old AA bull calf sold for €120.
Pressure
“We said we would start with a calf sale because that seems to be were the most pressure is. Some farmers are full up with calves and want to sell them,“ mart manager Helen Kells said. "Calf sellers are asked to book in the calves and they get a time slot to come and drop off the calves. Lot numbers are allocated and the calves are logged on the system. If there are calves of a similar weight and age, they are batched together to maximise the sale potential."
This five-week-old BB bull calf sold for €250.
"We then allocate different times for buyers to come and view the calves. Buyers then submit their bids for calves and the buyer with the highest bid gets the calves. The system seems to work well for calves as dairy farmers are pretty happy if they get a sale," said Helen.
This six-week-old BB bull calf sold for €320.
Exports
There were a number of exporters and farmer buyers at Carrigallen on Monday and appetite was good for good-quality calves. However, one exporter cautioned of a drop in appetite on the continent for calves in the current climate, with less boats due to sale this week.
This pair of five-week-old BB bull calves sold for €310 each.
Prices
Aberdeen Angus (AA) bull calves ranged from €90 -€250 for eight-week-olds. AA heifers were hitting around €120-€150. It was a similar story for Hereford calves. There were a number of strong Belgian Blue (BB) calves and they attracted a lot of interest from buyers. A top call of €320 went to a great six-week-old bull calf. The general run of BB bulls made around €250, with €150-€200 being paid for heifers.
This eight-week-old AA bull calf sold for €250.
April and May are normally the two busiest months of the year in many marts. Calf sales and grass cattle sales dominate, with lots of cattle and lots of customers.
April 2020 is a different story, with marts around the country closed to the public and a limited ability to facilitate trade. However, all marts are very keen to do what they can for both buyers and sellers to facilitate sales. One of those marts is Carrigallen, which on Monday had around 100 animals pass through the ring.
This four-week-old AA bull calf sold for €120.
Pressure
“We said we would start with a calf sale because that seems to be were the most pressure is. Some farmers are full up with calves and want to sell them,“ mart manager Helen Kells said. "Calf sellers are asked to book in the calves and they get a time slot to come and drop off the calves. Lot numbers are allocated and the calves are logged on the system. If there are calves of a similar weight and age, they are batched together to maximise the sale potential."
This five-week-old BB bull calf sold for €250.
"We then allocate different times for buyers to come and view the calves. Buyers then submit their bids for calves and the buyer with the highest bid gets the calves. The system seems to work well for calves as dairy farmers are pretty happy if they get a sale," said Helen.
This six-week-old BB bull calf sold for €320.
Exports
There were a number of exporters and farmer buyers at Carrigallen on Monday and appetite was good for good-quality calves. However, one exporter cautioned of a drop in appetite on the continent for calves in the current climate, with less boats due to sale this week.
This pair of five-week-old BB bull calves sold for €310 each.
Prices
Aberdeen Angus (AA) bull calves ranged from €90 -€250 for eight-week-olds. AA heifers were hitting around €120-€150. It was a similar story for Hereford calves. There were a number of strong Belgian Blue (BB) calves and they attracted a lot of interest from buyers. A top call of €320 went to a great six-week-old bull calf. The general run of BB bulls made around €250, with €150-€200 being paid for heifers.
This eight-week-old AA bull calf sold for €250.
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