Leinster Marts hosted its weekly sale in Carlow Mart on Monday, with a very mixed display of stock.

The upper end of stock was well able to come into money, with €2.50/kg and slightly over it achievable for the upper end of lighter or younger stock.

Quality, fit cattle, both male and female, were easy brought into the €1.90/kg to €2/kg mark, while lesser-quality and older cattle found it harder to see the rise and some had to settle for €1.80/kg or just beyond it.

This reduced back to around the €1.60/kg mark for Friesian-bred stock.

Factory premiums

It was particularly evident that buyers were keen for 2019-born cattle rather than those born in 2018 to get the factory premiums.

A small entry of spring-born calves ranged from €400 to €460 across the breeds.

Fit cull cows from dairy descent were in demand, with up to €1.65/kg achievable, but, in general, were around the €1.30/kg mark.

Those straight from the parlour in need of feeding proved harder sold, with prices starting anywhere around €1.20/kg.

Continental-bred dry cows were up on this, with the general price from €1.50/kg to €1.85/kg.

In pictures

This pair of Limousin bullocks born spring 2019 weighed 365kg and sold for €780 (€2.14/kg).

This group of five nice Charolais-cross bullocks born spring 2019 had an average weight of 347kg and sold for €780 (€2.25/kg).

This pair of Simmental bulls born the start of December 2019 weighed 415kg on average and sold for €850 (€2.05/kg).

This 375kg Angus heifer born spring 2019 sold for €750 (€2/kg).

This 405kg Hereford bull born February 2019 sold for €700 (€1.73/kg).

This September 2019-born Limousin bull weighed 350kg and sold for €880 (€2.51/kg).

This 900kg six-year-old dry cow sold for €1,280 (€1.42/kg).

This seven-year-old Charolais bull weighed 1,200kg and sold for €1,770 (€1.48/kg).

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