The year to date has been largely favourable for dairy farmers, with an early spring and good grass supplies quelling fears of forage supplies running tight. Combined with steady milk prices, there is much more confidence in dairy sales.
Reporting on yesterday’s dairy sale in Listowel Mart, Co Kerry, manager Barney O’Connell said they could have sold twice the number of dairy stock, with buyers full of confidence.
“We have been lucky in recent weeks to have special entries or clearances of top-quality stock, which is attracting many more buyers. Some are farmers who are expanding or converting to dairy, while we have farmers who like to keep numbers at a certain level and are repeat customers for small numbers at this time of year.”
An entry of quality dairy stock sold briskly, with good-quality calved heifers selling on average from €1,500 to €1,700, with a few lots below this range.
Good-quality cows were also a good trade, according to Barney, selling from €1,150 to €1,400, with age and quality influencing prices paid.
“The fact that the trade is good is also enticing some farmers who were thinking of cutting down numbers or getting out due to one reason or another to sell now and we have clearance sales booked in for the rest of the month and a very big sale next Wednesday.”
Maiden heifers also met with solid demand, with weight for age a big consideration in prices paid. Good-quality heifers ranged from €850 to €950, with little deviation from these prices for good-quality lots.
The calf trade has witnessed a significant improvement in the last two weeks, with Barney reporting that Friesian bull calves are drying up fast. This is creating more competition between live exporters, with light bulls selling from €70 to €90, while stronger calves for export sold to €120, with a selection attracting farmer interest sold to €150 per head.
Angus calves made up a big part of calf entries and sold mainly from €150 to €250, with bull calves at the higher end and light heifers slightly below in cases.
Barney says farmers focusing on presenting top-quality calves are being rewarded, with continental calves selling to €350, with a selection of Charolais-cross calves selling to €400 per head or higher.
Commission rates are 2% for dairy sales.
