Saturday’s general cattle sale at Balla Mart saw all types of cattle met with strong farmer demand. The best trade was for good-quality continental stores but even plainer cattle got a nice lift in prices.

Heavy bullocks over 500kg were well improved on previous weeks with farmer buyers much more active. Numbers on offer were not very high, which also helped the trade.

Bullocks

Heavy bullocks over 600kg were probably the weakest trade with stores very strong. Prices for stores were not back much on last year. Good-quality stores ranged mainly from €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg with some prices higher than this.

Average-quality types sold mainly from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg. Light stores from 400kg to 500kg were improved also. Prices of these ranged mainly from €2.15/kg to €2.30/kg and up to €2.40/kg at time for top-quality types.

Weanling bulls and bullocks from 300kg to 400kg sold mainly from €800 to €950/head. While some plainer types sold from €700 to €800, the general trade was strong.

Heifers

Store heifers were not quite as strong as the bullocks, but were improved on last week also. Those from 500kg to 600kg sold mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg for R and U grades with plainer types making €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg for Limousin and Angus types. Stores from 400kg to 500kg made from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg, with U grades making over €2.30/kg.

Where quality weanling heifers were on offer, the trade was very strong. Those from 300kg to 400kg sold mainly from €2.20/kg to €2.40/kg and up to €2.60/kg for better types.

Fleshed continental cull cows sold mainly from €1.70/kg to €1.85/kg. The main range of feeding cows sold from €1.50/kg to €1.65kg depending on quality, with plainer and older cows making from €1.20/kg upwards.