Camera at the Mart: full clearance at Cashel calf sale

There was a full clearance of the 437 calves on offer in Cashel Mart at the Co Tipperary mart’s weekly calf sale on Saturday last.

As is being seen at a lot of calf sales around the country, a price range of €300 to €450 seems to be emerging for the better-quality Friesian calves and a good share of the lighter Angus- and Hereford-crosses.

Stronger beef-cross calves closer to a month old are exceeding this and did so in Cashel on Saturday.

Prices over €500 to €670 were paid for Angus- and Hereford-crosses and a sale high of €755 paid out on two separate lots of continental-crosses.

Following the sale, auctioneer Robert DeVere Hunt said: “There were great numbers and a great trade. The harvest is on now for the next three weeks in the calf department.

"It was predominantly farmer buyers that were buying this week, with a small bit of exporter activity.

"An average price for good Friesian bulls was around €400 to €420. I’m seeing a lot more Belgian Blue-crosses about this spring and you’re looking at €700 comfortably for a good strong blue calf and even up to €900.

Two fingers

"Lesser-quality calves are making around €150 to €200 and I’m seeing exporters go for the better crossbred calves. I was begging and pleading for bids and getting €2 bids for those two years ago and getting two fingers and it wasn’t €200 they were bidding.

"Angus-crosses were up on the previous week. Farmers were willing to go to €550 last week - they were fit to go to €600 for the same calf this week.

"I’ve been actively encouraging farmers to put the milk into the calf because the calf and cull cow will balance the book for dairy men this year. The farmers are responding and getting €50, €80 to €100 above the normal prices as a result.”

Delighted with the current prices, he added: “It’s great to see. It started with calves in second half of year, then those rearing calves got paid for weanling and now continued with yearlings so every one is getting a twist, except the man at the top of the tree with the beef animal.”