Camera at the Mart: exceptional demand for weanlings in Gortatlea

There was a full clearance at Gortatlea Mart on Wednesday evening last for the Co Kerry mart's E and U grade weanling show and sale.

Prices from €2,200 to €2,700 were commonplace for well-muscled suckler-bred stock and a top price of €3,560 was paid for a July 2025-born Belgian Blue-cross bull weighing 440kg (€8.09/kg).

Exporters were very active for heavier calves, with farmer buyers aiming for plainer suckler-bred stock or dairy-crosses. Prices from €4.50/kg to €7/kg were paid for suckler stock, with some exceeding these levels.

Reflecting on how those weanling prices compared with the current Irish beef price, mart manager Maurice Brosnan said: “If they can afford to spend a few hundred more on those cattle for other countries and put expenses on them, the outlook can’t be all that bad for the beef.

"Suckler-bred were the headliners and they are being well rewarded, despite the doom and gloom of beef price at the moment. People still have the confidence to buy those good-quality weanling bulls.

"There were a lot of exporters going for the muscled weanlings and an odd one was being bought for shows too Farmers were mostly buying the dairy-bred animal. A few are buying the heavy suckler-bred ones too. Mainly those from 450kg and up and they’re giving up to €5/kg and over for them.”

Strong demand

While suckler-bred weanlings grabbed all the headlines, there was strong demand from farmer buyers looking to purchase cattle for grass, which saw exceptional prices paid for dairy-bred stores.

One group of February 2025-born Belgian Blue-cross bulls weighing 475kg sold for €1,950 (€4.11/kg). Most of the better-quality dairy-bred stock from Friesians to continentals sold from €3.70/kg to €4.70/kg.

“Those Blues probably cost €600 as calves and would probably be more this year. Even allowing for that, there’s money to be made on them.

"Despite some people claiming calves are too expensive, there’s plenty of money in them if they’re done right.

"There were Angus-cross cattle here this week that were bought here as calves last year for an average of €400 and they sold this week averaged €1,750.

"They were a good bunch of bullocks that had been outwintered, but that’s a good margin. Most pollys and whiteheads were making €4/kg to €4.70/kg.

"It’s similar with Friesian bulls - there were Friesian bullocks here making €1,200 and €1,400 that were bought last spring here. Even at this spring's calf prices, there is a margin to be made from them. The better Friesian bullocks were making €3.70/kg to €4/kg this week.”