The recent upward movement in beef prices and strong appetite for slaughter-fit stock is adding more life to mart sales.
There was a particularly sharp trade for any short-keep and slaughter-fit stock in Nenagh Mart’s sale of almost 300 head on Tuesday.
All cows on offer were dairy types comprising a mixture of heavier cows with a nice cover of flesh to lighter weight cows short on condition.
Central Auctions manager Michael Harty commented that the strong live trade for cows has been enticing more farmers to opt to market cows live.
The top third of cows sold for €2.10/kg, with this including heavier and younger cows selling from €2/kg to €2.23/kg, while average lots with a fair to good cover of flesh sold from €1.65/kg to €1.90/kg and back to €1.25/kg for poorly covered lots.
Store bullocks and heifers weighing 500kg to 600kg were a fine trade, reflected in good-quality Friesian bullocks selling to a top of €2.79/kg, or €1,540/head, for a batch of seven weighing 552kg.
The general run of prices for such Friesians ranged from €2.50/kg to €2.72/kg, with Belgian Blue- and Hereford-crosses to upwards of €3/kg.
The average price for lighter 400kg to 500kg bullocks was €2.75/kg, with the top third averaging at €2.92/kg and the bottom third at €2.59/kg.
Friesian bullocks sold in the main from €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg, with Angus- and Hereford-crosses to €2.80/kg to €3/kg.
Bullock prices are running on average from 35c/kg to 50c/kg ahead of the corresponding sale in 2023.
It was a similar trend for heifers, with heavier lots weighing 500kg-plus selling best and averaging €2.90/kg.
The top third of lots sold for €3.15/kg, with the bottom third at €2.73/kg.
Lighter lots sold from €2.45/kg to €2.60/kg for plainer-quality dairy-crosses and to €3/kg-plus for Hereford, Angus and Charolais-cross heifers.
Prices are running 35c/kg to 44c/kg on average higher year on year, with heavier cattle realising a higher lift in price.
Prices have firmed in recent weeks on the back of improved producer confidence but with quality of stock also declining overall sale averages have remained broadly similar.
Yearling Friesian bulls and bullocks were low in number, which is not surprising given sale entries are starting to seasonally reduce.
An entry of average-quality Friesian bulls and bullocks sold in the main from €2.20/kg to €2.36/kg, with the best-quality types to €2.50/kg and higher.
Angus-crosses sold from €2.90/kg to €3.25/kg, but, again, numbers were limited.
