Aurivo Balla Mart’s sale on Saturday showed no sign of easing heading into the first week of June. There was an entry of more than 200 steers, 200 heifers and 100 cows with a similar combined number of weanlings and cows with calves at foot.
The strong grass-growing year and relatively firm beef price is keeping the trade busy for longer in 2017 and this was reflected by a good attendance of buyers.
Steers
Price was heavily dependent on quality across all categories. Heavy slaughter-fit steers sold from €2.00/kg for aged and lesser quality O+/R- grading steers to €2.15/kg to €2.20/kg for small numbers of better-quality bullocks.
Forward stores weighing 550kg upwards sold from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg for good R-grading bullocks, with the tops in this section selling to €2.40/kg. Bullocks weighing 400kg to 500kg were a similar trade, with the best-quality types rising to €2.60/kg while the price per kilo increased by 20c/kg for lots weighing 350kg to 380kg as the photos reflect.
Plain-quality bullocks bred from the dairy herd sold from €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg on average.
Heifers
A similar trend was observed for heifers. Good-quality R and U grade Charolais and Limousin heifers were most sought after, with top-quality stores weighing 450kg to 560kg selling from €2.25/kg to €2.50/kg and over in cases. Plainer-quality types sold back to €2.00/kg.
Heifers weighing 350kg to 420kg sold from €2.40/kg to €2.70/kg for the best-quality lots. Angus, Limousin and Hereford heifers bred from the dairy herd and weighing in the region of 300kg to 350kg sold from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg for the best-quality lots.
Cows
Strong competition from agents and dealers meant any reduction in cow prices from recent factory pressure was minimised.
Good quality R-grading slaughter-fit cows weighing 600kg to 680kg sold in general from €1.60/kg to €1.85/kg, with heavier better-quality cows rising in cases to €2.00/kg and a top of €2.14/kg for the super-quality Limousin cow pictured.
Feeding cows were fewer in number, with suckler-bred cows selling from €1.45/kg to €1.60/kg for good-quality lots weighing over 550kg, while small numbers of dairy crossbreds sold from €1.30/kg to €1.50/kg. A small entry of poorer-quality Friesian cows sold from €1.00/kg to €1.20/kg.
Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to view more pictures.
A guide to special and upcoming sales in the marts in the coming weeks