Store cattle have remained a really good trade over the last few weeks and Drumshanbo was no exception last Friday night.
Over 300 cattle went through the two rings, with store bullocks and store heifers an especially good trade.
Good-quality continental heifers in the 400kg to 500kg category were making in excess of €2.40/kg.
Average-quality heifers were around the €2.20/kg mark, with poorer-quality dairy-crosses around the €1.90/kg mark.
Bullocks were a similar trade, with quality commanding a premium.
Top-quality heavy continental bullocks over 500kg were making €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg, with lesser-quality lots back around the €2/kg mark.
There was a few choice suckler outfits on the night. Top call of the night went to a 2014-born Simmental-cross cow with her July-born heifer calf at foot selling for €1,850.
The general run of prices for suckler cows with calves at foot was between €1,300 and €1,700.
A number of Hereford-cross dairy-bred in-calf heifers were sold from €900 to €1,100.
Weanlings were also in demand, with a few Belgian Blue-cross bull calves hitting €2.80/kg and heifer calves around €2.50/kg.
Top call in the weanling heifer ring went to an August 2019-born Charolais heifer weighing 425kg and making €1,170 (€2.75/kg).
Mart manager Eoin Kane said: “We’ve seen a few buyers from the North back around the ring again and that has helped the trade.”
Commission rates in Drumshanbo are €9 to the buyer and 1.9% to the seller.
