Camera at the Mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Camlough Mart, Co Armagh on Wednesday last where there was a superb entry of 350 top quality stock.
With beef prices on the rise, Wednesday’s sale was an electric trade from start to finish with buying demand outstripping supply across all classes of stock.
More and more buyers are attending the sale, both physically and online.
Short-keep and slaughter fit cattle in particular were an outstanding trade, with live ring prices running well ahead of a buoyant factory trade such is the level of competition for stock.
Commenting on the sale, mart manager Brendan Reavey said: “The whole cattle trade is getting stronger as finishers look to restock sheds and react to rising beef prices.
Topping the sale was an Angus bullock weighing 720kg with the hammer dropping at £1,840 (€2,139), followed closely by a standout Limousin bullock weighing 840kg, which sold for £1,830 (€2,127).
Intense bidding competition between specialist finishers saw heavy fleshed bullocks making 240p to 250p/kg (€2.79 to €2.90/kg) for U grade animals, with R grade lots clearing 220p/kg and rising to 235p/kg (€2.55 to €2.67/kg).
Prices are up 10p to 20p/kg since mid-March. Lighter bullocks suited to grazing saw good quality continental types making 260p to 280p/kg (€3.02 to €3.25/kg), and rising to over 300p/kg (€3.48/kg) for top quality Charolais and Limousin types at the upper end of the market.
Heavy fleshed heifers are in limited supply and animals sold to a top price of £1,460 (€1,698) for an 875kg Salers bred animal.
Lighter heifers around the 650kg to 700kg bracket matched those of the bullock trade with U grading animals realizing 250p/kg (€2.90/kg) at the upper end of the market.
Lighter, grazing types are also in demand with prices rising towards 300p/kg for top quality Charolais and Limousin types around the 350kg to 420kg weight range. Cows peaked at £1,700 (€1,976) for a 760kg Charolais-bred animal.
