Camera at the Mart: weanlings over €3/kg in Kanturk

Kanturk Co-op Mart hosted the first of its special autumn weanling sales on Tuesday last, with a brisk trade throughout.

The sale of 540 animals, 150 of these weanlings, met an impressive clearance rate of 99.9%.

As part of the special sale, a number of titles were awarded. Taking the supreme championship was Sean Lynch with a Limousin bull weighing 515kg that sold for €1,390 (€2.79/kg).

Standing reserve supreme champion was Kieran Noonan with a Belgian Blue-sired bull weighing 420kg that sold for €1,100 (€2.62/kg).

The final award presented was for the best pen of bulls, which was secured by Denis Fawley for a batch of Limousin bulls weighing 357kg on average that sold for €880 (€2.46/kg).

Overall trade is reported as being very good, in line with most other marts throughout the country.

Weanlings topped at €3.04/kg, with lighter weanlings well up on the prices. A good share of Angus- and Hereford-cross weanlings were very fast to break the €2/kg mark, with continentals averaging around the €2.50/kg mark.

Some of the other top prices included a Belgian Blue bull weighing 470kg which sold for €1,220 (€2.60/kg).

One Limousin-sired bull calf weighed in at 290kg and hit the market at €810 (€2.79/kg). A Belgian Blue-sired weanling bull weighed 315kg and sold for €960, selling for top price/kg of €3.04.

On the heifer weanling front, one Limousin-sired heifer weighing 330kg sold for €800 (€2.42/kg).

One of the Parthenaise-cross heifers in attendance weighed in at 300kg and sold for €790, or €2.63/kg.

Heavier steers met a tougher than anticipated trade, with Angus-cross fit steers hitting between €1.80 and €2/kg.

One group of three Angus bullocks weighed 590kg and sold for €1,110 (€1.88/kg).

Those traditional breed bullocks of lighter weights suitable for feeding on proved in much more demand, with one group of six Angus weighing 449kg selling for €920 (€2.05/kg).

Fit and short-keep heifers proved strong, with both continental and traditional breeds exceeding €2/kg.

One pair of Limousin heifers weighing 472kg sold for €1,065 (€2.26/kg), while a pair of Angus-cross heifers weighing 540kg sold for €2/kg.