Camera at the Mart: forward and finished types in keen demand in Portumna

Portumna Mart’s general cattle sale on Wednesday 12 March saw buoyant trade, with decent numbers of stock for grass buyers, further finishing and slaughter-fit cattle being turned out for sale.

Some 332 animals passed through the ring, with the auctioneer’s hammer falling on 326 of them to give a clearance rate of 98%.

Bullocks were dominated by forward-type stores and cattle fit for grass, with just 12 bullocks tipping the scale at over 600kg.

These heavier lots averaged a strong €3.81/kg, with four of these lots clearing €4.25/kg.

Forward store types between 500kg and 600kg were in demand from northern buyers, feedlot agents and farmers.

Bullocks of this weight averaged €3.56/kg, with the top third averaging €3.89/kg, while the bottom third, mainly dairy-beef stock, averaged €3.27/kg.

Lighter bullocks

Lighter bullocks between 400kg and 500kg dominated in numbers and were most sought after by northern and farmers buyers. These types averaged €3.46/kg, up 2c/kg on the week prior.

Two pens of light bullocks between 350kg and 400kg averaged €3.53/kg, with a high of €4.26/kg being paid for a trio of 24-month-old Hereford-cross bullocks.

Just under 80 heifers were presented for sale, with most being of a forward or lighter store type, with some heifers in the mid-500kg bracket with flesh also present.

Grass buyers were particularly active for lighter heifers, with heavier types being in demand from northern buyers.

Heifers between 350kg and 400kg sold averaged €3.42/kg, with heifers between 400kg and 500kg averaging €3.85/kg, up 33c/kg on the week prior.

A small show of heifers above 500kg met with demand from factory agents and feedlot buyers, with an average of €3.84/kg paid for these types.

Top price in the heifer ring was a Limousin-cross heifer weighing 560kg which sold for €2,460 (€4.39/kg).

Cows

Much the same as in the bullocks and heifers, there was a mix of fleshed and store type cows among the 53 lots on offer.

Heavy, well fleshed continental types were most in demand, with fleshed Friesian types also sought after, with an average price across the board of €3.04/kg, up 41c/kg on the week before, with more cows having been present. The top third of cows averaged €3.22/kg, while the bottom third, mainly dairy or first-cross beef cows, averaged €2.64/kg.