Farmer buyers are dominating around the rings this week, as calf sales get under way in dairy hotspots across the country.

Mart managers told the Irish Farmers Journal that demand is almost all from farmer buyers with exporters not getting a look in.

Reflecting on Monday night’s calf sale in Portumna, chair of the mart Pat Hardiman said that demand was extremely strong from local farmers.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We had two exporters in on Monday night – normally we’d have between four and five exporters. They were being outbid by local farmers, the competition was serious,” he said.

Hardiman said that farmers are being squeezed out of the weanling market given where current prices are at.

There was a 100% clearance rate in Thurles Mart on Wednesday morning, where over 90 calves went through the ring. The top lot was secured by a Charolais-cross-calf born on 19 January, which sold for €800. More general prices in both marts saw Friesians making anywhere from €150 to €300/hd, with continental calves making over €400/hd. The majority of calves were bought by farmers.

“The ring was packed and there was lots of online buying too. Hereford-cross heifers averaged €420/hd, while bulls made from €500 to €690, depending on quality,” manager of Thurles Mart Ciara Ryan said.

While early calf sales are always good, the outlook for the 2026 trade is positive.