There was almost 350 cattle on offer at Iveragh Co-operative Mart’s spring-born weanling show and sale on Tuesday.

Farmer buyers were extremely active, with a pair of exporters chasing well-muscled stock also.

There was close to a two-thirds/one-third split between bulls and heifer weanlings on offer and demand remained strong throughout the sale.

The main run of quality bulls weighing from 300kg to 350kg were making from €3.40/kg to €3.60/kg, with a small number at the lower end of the weight scale edging towards €3.80/kg and further in a handful of cases.

A smaller number of plainer animals were making under €3/kg. Joining them and hovering around the €3/kg mark were heavier bulls, with the premium that was there for those animals in July not present this week.

Heifers

For heifers, the best were making from €3/kg to €3.20/kg, with plainer heifers back around €2.70/kg to €2.80/kg.

“The worrying thing is the reduction in suckler cow numbers nationally and it looks like a trend that seems to be continuing,” according to mart manager Mike Kissane.

“Something needs to be done to stem the tide of the exodus from suckler farming or rural Ireland will suffer as a result.

“We’re seeing it here over the last 12 months - suckler cows are being sold dry and aren’t being replaced and that’s a major concern.”

He felt that should ring alarm bells beyond Kerry.

“Schemes need to be simplified going forward and not complex to see can we retain people already in it.

“The star rating and the Bord Bia mandatory measure are off putting for a lot of farmers they need to be reconsidered and simplified in future.

“The Beef Welfare Schemes should be open-ended in terms of numbers, because I feel every farmer that’s producing a calf regardless of the size should be entitled to the scheme because they’re treating their calves the same.”