Camera at the Mart: quality maintaining fancy prices in Roscommon

Tuesday evening 16 November saw 190 weanlings go through the ring in Roscommon Mart, where good-quality weanlings continue to maintain the fancy prices of recent weeks.

Farmers were active for all types of weanlings at Tuesday’s sale, with a particularly heavy online buyer influence on the evening.

With entries starting to take a natural decline for the time of year, quality has slipped slightly with numbers, but strong Charolais and Limousin weanlings are still being met with a solid trade.

Auctioneer Tom Cox commented: “It was a fast trade, with plenty of online activity. Numbers are back on other weeks, but quality weanlings are maintaining fancy prices.”

Weanling bulls

Weanling bulls were flying out the door, with a 99% clearance rate in that section on the evening.

Bulls in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket typically ranged from €2.70/kg to €3.70/kg, with one of the highest prices per kg being paid for a Limousin- cross bull born April 2022 and weighing 345kg that sold for €1,320 (€3.83/kg).

Lighter bulls weighing between 200kg and 300kg generally ranged from €2.40/kg to €3.40/kg, with the highest price per kg in that bracket being paid for a Charolais-cross bull born May 2022 and weighing 260kg that sold for €890 (€3.42/kg).

Weanling heifers

Similar to the bulls, the weanling heifers were strongly influenced by Charolais and Limousin-crosses, with only a very small percentage of store-type heifer weanlings not falling under the hammer.

Heifers weighing in the 300kg to 400kg range typically sold from €2.40/kg to €3.40/kg, with one Limousin-cross heifer born April 2022 and weighing 300kg selling for €850 (€3.42/kg).

Lighter weanling heifers that weighed between 200kg and 300kg sold generally in the price range of €2.53/kg to €3.30/kg, with one Charolais-cross heifer born April 2022 and weighing 275kg selling for €910 (€3.31/kg).

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, newly appointed mart manager Tony Conry said: “This is a really exciting challenge for me and I am really looking forward to working with everyone here in Roscommon Mart and to the challenges that lie ahead.”

The local man added: “I would like to wish Maura [Quigley] the very best in her recent retirement. She has done a fantastic job here in Roscommon over the years and I hope to continue her good work in the future.”