Camera at the Mart: highs of €8,000 in Manorhamilton fatstock sale

Manorhamilton Mart’s fatstock sale on Saturday last was a bittersweet one. Though a fine crowd turned out to support the event, there was one individual missing that should ordinarily be there.

Ivan Moffitt, of the Moffitt family that owns and runs the mart, passed away suddenly this year.

The gauntlet of organising the annual fatstock was dutifully taken up by his daughter Ava Moffitt, with rapturous and deserved applause called for by auctioneers Rodney Windrum and Tom Cox.

Demand came from a variety of sources. Exporters were active for bull calves suited to shipping, while a cohort of loose animals of below show standard saw demand from finishers and factory buyers.

The haltered heifers themselves saw buyers from every walk of life - young farmers, specialist springer producers and a noted NI competitions company also taking home 10 heifers with them.

Topping the prices was a third-prizewinner from Billy McDermott, Williamstown, Co Galway. Despite collecting only a third-place rosette, the smart golden Charolais heifer weighing 356kg sold for €8,000 (€22.47/kg).

Second highest price was a Belgian Blue-cross heifer weighing 398kg selling for €6,000 (€15.08/kg), with yet another Belgian Blue-cross heifer calf, exhibited by James Feely, Tubbercurry, collecting a blue rosette and selling for €5,800 at 390kg (€14.87.kg).

Belgian Blue heifers between 300kg and 400kg sold to an average of €6.58/kg, with Limousin heifers of the same weight averaging €5.31/kg.

Blue heifers weighing 400kg to 500kg averaged €5.39/kg, while Charolais and Limousin in the same weight bracket sold for €4.40/kg and €4.35/kg respectively.

Top price in this weight class went to a Blue-cross heifer exhibited by Ava Moffitt selling for €4,500 at 470kg (€9.57/kg), while the overall champion of the show, a Limousin-cross from the stable of Liam Maguire weighing 382kg, sold for €4,000 (€10.47/kg).

Bulling or forward-type store heifers between 500kg and 600kg were more mixed in quality, though high-end heifers were still available for purchaser willing to keep waving at Wilburn.

Belgian Blue-cross heifers in this weight bracket averaged €4.35/kg, with Charolais-cross pipping them at €4.90/kg, while Limousin-cross heifers were at a respectable €3.80/kg.

Top price in this weight bracket came from Lydia Gallagher, Carrigart, Co Donegal, who saw her second-prizewinning heifer sell for €3,950 at 542kg (€7.29/kg).