Martbids Database: confusion around TB changes in mart rings

Confusion still exists among farmers surrounding recent changes to TB rules regarding animals over 36 months being sold live.

As we understand it, beef-bred cows than come from herds tested within the last six months can be purchased by anyone or if these herds are outside of this six-month window, if the individual cow is tested herself within the last month, the rules remain the same.

Regarding dairy cows, rules are stricter over who can purchase. Cows over 36 months of age that have not been tested within the month before sale – but the herd and the animal have been tested within six months – can be purchased by what is classed as ‘group two’ buyers, which are non-breeding, non-milk supplying herds.

While these group two herds can purchase youngstock and beef cows that satisfy the requirements in the first paragraph, if they purchase dairy cows that have not been tested in the month pre-movement, then these animals can only be sold direct to slaughter.

Controlled finishing units (CFUs) can purchase any of these animals, as well as from herds in which a breakdown of TB occurred, though all animals in a CFU can only go direct for slaughter.

The rules above regarding pre-movement on dairy cows remain even when a dairy-bred cow enters a beef or suckler herd – she is treated the same and will require a 30-day pre-movement test to be eligible to be purchased by farmers that do not fit the non-breeding, non-milk-producing herds or CFU criteria.

It hasn’t wildly affected trade or numbers this week in cow rings, with average price coming in at €2.90/kg, up 1c/kg, while the bottom third of cows are up 10c/kg at €2.41/kg.

On the upper end of the quality brackets, cows have slipped by 19c/kg to sit at €3.38/kg.

Lower numbers

Numbers have contracted slightly this week, with marts in the west reporting that poorer weather is still hampering trade for traditional grass buyers.

Weanling bulls weighing from 200kg to 300kg fell by 8c/kg this week to sit at €4.98/kg, the first week in some time they have dipped below €5/kg

The popular weight band of 300kg to 400kg, which includes both export- and farmer-type weanlings, rose by 4c/kg to sit at €5.04/kg.

Heavier bulls weighing from 400kg to 450kg jumped by a massive 44c/kg, though numbers are small, with exporters again active with recent offloading of animals.

Weanling heifers are a more depressed trade, with those weighing from 200kg to 300kg falling in price by 15c/kg, while 300kg to 400kg lots fell by 1c/kg.

A jump in price of 400kg to 450kg heifers can be attributed to a small number of heifers at specialist sales.

In the bullock ring, we have seen slight slippages in price across most weight classes, though not significant ones bar those over 600kg, with lighter bullocks from 350kg to 400kg rising by 5c/kg.

Heifers are a more positive trade, with lighter better-quality heifers jumping 23c/kg, with overall averages up by 4c/kg, bar heavy heifers above 600kg.