The 2024 weanling trade has opened with a bang in the south of the country, with three exporters locking horns in Iveragh Mart in Kerry on Tuesday. Live exporters snapped up over 60% of the weanlings on offer in Iveragh with prices up €50 to €70/hd on the same sale last year.
The 2024 weanling trade has opened with a bang in the south of the country, with three exporters locking horns in Iveragh Mart in Kerry on Tuesday.
Live exporters snapped up over 60% of the weanlings on offer in Iveragh with prices up €50 to €70/hd on the same sale last year.
Iveragh Mart manager Mike Kissane said: “It paid to have quality at Tuesday’s sale. Heavy bulls were a serious trade. We had 500kg bulls making €3.50/kg (€1,750/head). That’s unheard of in these parts.”
Kissane noted that a reduction in top-quality suckler-bred weanlings coming from farms was also a factor.
“The export trade needs to be supported as it is critical to the survival of the suckler cow in the west.”
Bluetongue restrictions across much of mainland Europe are pushing international buyers to Ireland for their cattle supplies.
Meanwhile, the Shorthorn Express livestock carrier is due to load this weekend in Greenore port to take 2,500 cattle to the Middle East.
North Africa
Other shipments are also being assembled by Irish exporters to be dispatched to northern Africa later this month.
Weanling and store cattle exports are currently running 2,000 cattle ahead of 2023 levels.
To date, 31,580 weanling and store cattle have been exported.
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