The final cattle sale of 2024 at Swatragh Mart saw a super trade for weanlings and light stores.

Numbers forwarded were down on previous weeks, with 65 animals going under the hammer.

Due to the smaller show of cattle for sale, competition between buyers standing ringside was sharper than usual, boosting prices in the process.

Cull cows were met with strong bidding, as finishers looked to take advantage of the uplift in beef prices by purchasing slaughter-fit and short-keep animals.

Price per kilo saw cows topping at 257p/kg (€3.09/kg) for a 520kg Belgian Blue animal which made £1,340 (€1,614), while top price per head saw a 720kg Hereford make £1,680 (€2,024).

Cows suited to intensive finishing saw a Belgian Blue-cross animal weighing 620kg making £1,490 (€1,795).

Hereford and Angus types around the 650kg mark made £1,260 to £1,530 (€1,518 to €1,843) depending on age and quality.

Suckler outfits peaked at £2,060 (€2,481) for a 2020-born Simmental cow with a Simmental bull calf at foot.

Heifer weanlings

A super show of weanlings saw heifers peak at 351p/kg (€4.22/kg) for a 228kg Limousin with the hammer dropping at £800 (€964).

However, heifers topped £1,970 (€2,373) for a 500kg Limousin, with other standout prices of £1,490 (€1,795) for a 464kg Limousin, £1,460 (€1,759) for a 478kg Belgian Blue and £1,410 (€1,698) for a 404kg Charolais-bred animal.

Heifers between 300kg and 400kg generally sold from £1,020 upwards to £1,150 (€1,228 to €1,385), with Limousin and Charolais types an easier sell than other breeds.

Bull weanlings topped out at £1,470 (€1,771) for a 420kg Limousin-bred animal, although on a price-per-kilo basis, the trade peaked at 391p/kg (€4.71/kg) for a 256kg Limousin on £1,000 (€1,204).

Other leading prices saw £1,450 (€1,747) paid for a 418kg Limousin-sired bull weanling, with £1,150 (€1,385) paid for another bull of similar breeding but weighing 300kg.

A great show of animals between 300kg and 400kg saw £1,430 (€1,722) paid for a 392kg Limousin and £1,350 (€1,626) for a 388kg Charolais.

In pictures