Camera at the Mart: buyers kick on prices for heavy beef-cross calves in Bandon

Calf numbers bounced back up in Bandon Mart this week with a little short of 2,150 calves going through the ring.

This is up about 75 head on the same week’s sale in 2024 and nearly 800 calves ahead of the end of March 2023, perhaps a reflection of later calving patterns in recent years.

Traditional beef breeds made up 60% of the calves on offer with Angus-crosses making up over 900 head of those.

The bulk of beef-cross calves from Friesian dams and weighing over 50kg sold for between €200 to €400.

That wasn’t the ceiling for beef-calf prices though, as for the second week on the trot Angus- and Herefrod-crosses broke the €500 mark. Maybe farmers were willing to go a little bit harder for heavier beef-cross calves as they know there’s possibly only another week where February-born animals will be available in big numbers.

Continentals

They appeared willing to go that bit extra to buy beef-cross calves and as a result, the top end of the trade for continentals hit a different level.

Only five percent of the calves on offer were Belgian Blue-crosses but they could have easily run away with the headlines of the sale, with €700 breached on a number of occasions.

A top price of €775 was paid on a group of six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross bull calves that weighed 88kg.

The top price 12 months ago was also for a Belgian Blue-cross but was €240 cheaper at €535.

A good share of heavier continentals made over €600, while lighter beef-cross calves, whether, continental-cross or traditional beef-cross but from herds with Jersey genetics, were available between €100 to €200.

A quarter of the calves were Friesians this week. Shipping-type Friesian calves weighing over 50kg generally sold for between €100 to €230/. Lighter Friesians rarely made over €100, while the home market demand for stronger Friesians continued with those mainly making from €250 up to €365. Those making over €300 tended to be over 75kg.

Those general price patterns were available throughout the sale whether a calf was sold in the first hour or after 6pm.

In pictures