It has been a positive week for prices in marts across the country, with the MartBids database showing significant increases for store bullocks and heifers, up almost 8c/kg on average.

In general, cattle numbers offered for sale continues to contract, back 14% on the previous seven days.

However, some marts are seeing numbers hold firm or even strengthen in the past week, as farmers opt to make the most of a decent marketplace.

Speaking to a number of mart managers, they are reporting a notable lift this week, with more bite ringside after a short period of price deflation.

A notable return from feedlot buyers has helped boost trade, with some suggesting that shrinking cattle numbers in sales is forcing buyers to pay a bit more for lighter and plainer type cattle.

Where feedlot buyers would have been operating around the 500kg mark for stores, they have been forced to drop back to between 460kg and 480kg in some instances in order to secure numbers.

Again, this is backed up by the MartBids data showing bullocks from 400kg to 500kg having the greatest price lift on the week, up around €25/head on average.

It is also notable that the bottom third of prices have seen a second week of significant increase as the price differential between the bottom third and average has closed to around 30c/kg.

A month ago, this same price differential sat at almost 70c/kg.

Heifers

Heifer prices have increased by 5c/kg to 6c/kg on average this week.

Heifers from 400kg to 500kg averaged €2.20/kg, while there was more on offer for heavier types, with an average price of €2.30/kg and €2.34/kg being paid for 500kg to 600kg and 600kg-plus heifers respectively.

Weanling bulls

While weanling numbers continue to decline, there are still some decent entries in sales across the country. After a relatively negative week price-wise for bull weanlings in last week’s analysis, especially for lighter types, there has been a price bounce over the past seven days.

At this point, sales are seeing a lot of late-spring-born bull weanlings coming out at just under the 300kg mark and are averaging €2.50/kg.

These are attracting a lot of farmer buyers operating to a budget of between €700 and €800/head. There is still more on offer for that fancier type continental weanling, with some easily going over €900.

Weanling heifers

Similarly with heifers, there are more April- and May-born cattle coming through the ring at this point.

Heifers between 200kg and 300kg averaged €2.53/kg this week, up around €15/head to €20/head on the week, while heavier heifers from 300kg to 400kg remain similar to last week at an average price of €2.40/kg.

Cows

Cows have moved in a positive direction.

Well-conformed suckler-bred cows continue to exceed 2/kg for the most part, while first-cross dairy types carrying good flesh are still commanding from €1.70/kg to €1.80/kg.

Dairy cows are trading from €1.15/kg to €1.25/kg for the most part, with more on offer for cows carrying a decent level of condition.