Talk of mart lockdowns over the last seven days seemed to add a little bite to the trade in marts across the country, especially in the grass cattle category.

That bite was evident in Carrigallen last Thursday where there was over 400 heifers on offer.

The sale was to also have celebrations to mark 50 years of trading, but these were put on hold due to coronavirus concerns.

The general run of 400kg to 500kg was €2.30/kg, with some standout heifers making €2.60/kg to €2.70/kg. This was up €30/head on last year’s sale.

It was a similar story for the 400kg to 500kg heifers, with the average price settling around €2.20/kg, up €25 on last year’s sale.

Plainer dairy types were easier bought, with a number of 500kg Hereford-cross heifers making between €800 and €900 or €1.70/kg.

Heavier heifers over 600kg were a little easier sold, with the average price around €2/kg. The standout price of the sale went to a 700kg Limousin heifer selling for €1750 or €2.50/kg.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, mart manager Helen Kells said: “We didn’t want to let local farmers down [by] cancelling the sale and we did everything we could to reduce the risks.

“We had some very good buyers for good-quality stock and we are delighted with the clearance.”