Camera at the Mart: bull beef finishers and exporters drive demand in Ballymote

With high demand for cattle this spring, sellers turned out in force in Ballymote Mart for last Friday’s weanling show and sale.

The Sligo mart runs four spring weanling sales each year, with numbers up considerably on last year.

"For the same sale last year, we would have seen 350-odd weanlings, between bulls and heifers. This year, we had 380 bulls and 220 heifers," explained mart manager David Faughnan.

"The quality of cattle was excellent. Where suckler numbers have reduced in other areas, there is little else that works on the ground around here bar suckler cows. There was also a large amount of AI-bred cattle, which raised the standard on the day."

The bull trade was dominated by bull beef finishers and exporters, with specialist bull producers most active for quality continental lots above the 400kg mark.

Active for lighter types

Farmer buyers were active for lighter types, with quality store types of good frame and the ability to thrive on securing €3/kg with ease, with select types for shipping hitting the €4 mark.

In the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket, Belgian Blue-cross bulls averaged €3.34/kg, with Charolais-cross averaging €3.35/kg.

In the 400kg to 500kg bracket, Belgian Blue-cross bulls led the way again, averaging €3.62/kg, with Charolais-cross and Limousin-cross bulls averaging €3.24/kg and €3.21/kg respectively.

A noted price in this section was a Belgian Blue-cross weighing 415kg selling for €1,960 (€4.72/kg).

Heifers

Heifer numbers were behind that of bulls, with quality also slightly behind. Sellers who turned out quality continental heifers were justly rewarded, while good-quality Angus-cross heifers also met a strong demand.

"I’ve had several calls already this week from buyers looking for more Angus-crosses," stated David.

In the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket, Angus-cross heifers averaged €2.76/kg, with Belgian Blue-cross heifers averaging €3.92/kg, with well-marked U grading Blue heifers in each weight bracket seeing demand from farmers throughout the sale.

Charolais-cross heifers averaged €3.17/kg, with Limousin-cross slightly ahead at €3.29/kg.

Heifers weighing between 400kg and 500kg were fewer in quantity and were behind on price per kilo than the lighter heifers, with Charolais-cross heifers averaging €3.01/kg and Limousin-cross back down at €2.78/kg.

Top call in the heifer ring and throughout the entire sale was the first-prizewinner of the pre-sale show, an E grading Charolais heifer weighing 510kg selling for €2,110 (€4.14/kg).