Camera at the mart: bank holiday bounce for Bandon calf sale

An exhibition of the dynamics of supply an demand was there for anyone witnessing the calf sale in Bandon Mart on Monday morning.

"Bananas" is how one farmer described it as both farmer buyers and exporters competed for calves.

There were 377 calves and runners on offer, of those almost 300 were young calves and while the numbers were similar to 12 months ago, this sale was on a different level to 2024.

Appetite is always there for an early calf, particularly on for beef crosses and that coupled with a larger proportion of Friesians in comparison to a week ago saw a limited supply of Angus- and Hereford-crosses on offer for bank holiday buyers in Bandon this week.

Prices

Only a small number of Friesian bulls sold for under €100 and the general range for lighter export type calves was €75 to €150.

Farmer buyers were paying up to €240 for Friesian bull calves under six weeks of age and a good proportion of those weighing from 50kg to 60kg and aged one month old or less sold made up to €195.

Friesian bulls had the upper hand when it came to the number of calves available and this played a part in the prices for beef-crosses. Angus- and Hereford-crosses prices returned to their pre-Christmas highs at the west Cork venue with a good proportion making from €380 to €530.

That high was paid on a pair of one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls weighing 69kg so the high prices weren’t just on those with high weights for age.

Lighter traditional beef breed crosses were in the same league as Friesians.

Continentals

There was a good selection of continental crosses and bidding lit up when they came into the ring.

A share of them were available under €400 but more sold for in excess of €500, considerably in cases with up to €710 for a pair of 109kg Charolais-cross bulls. More could be got from €550 to €650 and weight didn’t always seem to matter either.

Last year

Looking back on the report from this time last year, shipping Friesians were making between €40 and €80 and €90 to €150 is what farmers were willing to pay with a top price of €190. Anywhere from €300 to €420 was paid for Angus and Herefords over 75kg and those under made from €180 to €300 for those weighing over 55kg.

Time change

Next week's calf sale in Bandon will commence at the earlier time of 10.30am.

In pictures