Monday’s bullock sale in Castlerea Mart saw supply fail to meet demand, as buyers competed hard to try to secure numbers.

Such was the demand that just one animal out of the 243 passing through failed to sell, while nearly all classes and weights of stock saw a price increase on the week previous.

Light bullocks from 350kg to 400kg sold to an average of €2.85/kg, up a healthy 9c/kg on the week prior, with U and R+ grading types with good weight for age selling to an average of €3.37/kg.

Bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket dominated the sale in numbers, with just shy of half the cattle in the yard falling into this weight band.

They sold to an average of €2.92/kg, with a mix of farmer buyers and finishers active for these types, resulting in a 9c/kg rise in price on last week.

Forward and lighter finished types in the 500kg to 600kg bracket sold strongly, with the top third of bullocks in this category averaging €3.36/kg, while the bottom third sold to an average of €2.52/kg, a jump of 11c/kg in a week.

Just shy of 50 bullocks over 600kg sold to an average of €2.69/kg, with the top and bottom third of cattle averaging €3.17/kg and €2.25/kg respectively, with a price increase of 12c/kg for top-quality lots, with lesser types seeing prices slip by 2c/kg.

In pictures

This Charolais-cross bullock born March 2023 and weighing 595kg sold for €1,960 (€3.29/kg).

This Charolais-cross bullock born April 2023 and weighing 570kg sold for €2,000 (€3.51/kg).

This Charolais-cross bullock born January 2023 and weighing 610kg sold for €1,860 (€3.05/kg).

This Limousin-cross bullock born June 2022 and weighing 435kg sold for €1,100 (€2.53/kg).

This Charolais-cross bullock born September 2022 and weighing 425kg sold for €1,170 (€2.75/kg).