Camera at the Mart: 2,200 calves on offer in Bandon

Calf throughput in Bandon Mart got a good test this Monday, with 2,203 calves going through the ring at this week’s sale.

This saw a lift of almost 200 head on the same sale last year and 500 head above 2024 levels. Of those on offer, 2,197 were 2026-born calves.

It was all hands on deck when it came to bidding, with farmers and shippers both active throughout the sale, with consistent demand and prices from when bidding opened at 10am right through to after 6.30pm when proceedings wrapped up.

Despite the increase in numbers there was little to ease demand for the stronger calves over 70kg, with €9/kg and €10/kg available for a good share of beef-cross calves.

Below those heavier calves, middle-range Angus- and Hereford-cross animals (between 55kg and 65kg) were making from €500 to €650.

Delving below the headline-grabbing prices, there appears to be a price range of €300 to €450 emerging for good Friesian bull calves and traditional beef breed-crosses weighing from 48kg to 55kg.

That price bracket applied to a substantial number of calves, with markets both home and abroad for them.

Friesians

Friesian and Friesian-cross bull calves made up four out of every 10 calves on offer.

There was a top price of €525, with those weighing over 65kg comfortably making from €350 up to that top price.

For lighter shipping-type calves, €200 to €320 tended to be the going rate for Friesians, with a share of Friesian- and Jersey-crosses creeping into this range too.

Very few calves sold for under €200. Those that did tended to be close to or under 45kg.

Following the sale, auctioneer Denis O’Donoghue said: “It was an exceptional sale with a great yard of calves.

"There was plenty of activity from shippers and they were in the mix, everything between them all with some specialising in Friesians and others going for a stronger calf.

"There seemed to be more Belgian Blue-crosses this week and we had a top price of €1,050 for a heifer and €960 for another.”

With rising calf numbers, Bandon Mart will commence a second weekly sale beginning this coming Thursday 5 March at 12pm.