Last week’s store cattle sale at Mountrath Mart saw a smaller entry than this week, mainly due to weather conditions. Mart manager Glen Cooper said that the trade was very strong, with plenty of farmer buyers and feeders active.

Bullocks were a slightly stronger trade than heifers, with plenty of farmers actively sourcing suitable cattle to turn back to grass. The prospect of improved weather in the days after the sale was a help also, as it sparked a little extra grass buyer demand than previous weeks.

Forward stores over 500kg sold mainly from €2.15/kg to €2.30/kg, with top-quality types making over €2.40/kg or €700 along with the weight.

In some cases, there was some feeder activity for forward store bullocks also. There were some Angus and Hereford stores on offer in this weight range also. Specialist finishers paid mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg for these.

Lighter stores from 400kg to 500kg were fairly abundant and were met with strong farmer buyer activity. Average-quality continental bullocks in that weight range sold mainly from €2.10/kg to €2.30/kg or €500 to €600 along with the weight.

There were a number of better-quality bullocks on offer that were snapped up by farmers. The top third sold from €2.30/kg to €2.55/kg or from €600 to €700 with the weight. The best demand was for Charolais and Limousin-crosses, which sold mainly from €2.40/kg to €2.65/kg.

Glen said that the trade for heifers was quite strong also, although prices were marginally back on the previous sale.

Heifers from 500kg to 600kg were a solid trade. The average continental heifer in that weight range sold from €2.20/kg to €2.35/kg, or from €650 to almost €750 over the weight. Top-quality forward heifers made up to €820 along with the weight.

Lighter store heifers from 400kg to 500kg were met with fairly strong demand. Prices ranged mainly from €2.20/kg to €2.40/kg for average-quality R grade store heifers, or from €450 to €650 along with the weight. Top-quality heifers in the same weight range were a firm trade on previous weeks and sold mainly from €2.50/kg to €2.70/kg or from €650 to €750 along with the weight. Commission rates are 1.6% to the seller and €10 to the buyer.

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