Birr mart had a good entry of store cattle at last Monday’s general cattle sale.

Forward store cattle were in demand with a number of feedlots very active for short-keep cattle. Heavy cattle over 600kg were hitting €2.70/kg, with a number of top end lots coming close to €2.90/kg.

Plainer dairy cross Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle were a little harder to shift, with lighter cattle back on the last couple of weeks' trading.

Dry cows were a very solid trade with heavy cows hitting as high as €2.60/kg. Lighter feeder cows were also in demand with good quality store suckler cows hitting €2.10-€2.30/kg.

Happy

Mart manager Michael Harty told the Irish Farmers Journal: “We were happy with the sale. Plainer dairy cross are probably a little harder shifted in the last three weeks but forward stores requiring a short finish are in demand.

"We also have a number of customers buying cattle for direct slaughter. There is good appetite for top quality heavy cattle from factories. Numbers have been fairly solid for the last number of weeks and we don’t expect any big glut of cattle coming off grass in the coming weeks. With grass growth back up again, there is less pressure to sell."