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Camera at the mart was at the dairy and weanling sale at Listowel Mart last week. Mart manager Barney O’Connell said that the opening dairy sale saw good-quality heifers get off to a good start. However, he added that the trade was back on the same time last year.
There were over 100 lots of dairy heifers on offer and a clearance rate of 86% was achieved. Barney said spring-calving heifers were met with the best demand from farmers, with autumn-calved heifers a disappointing trade.
The average spring-calving heifer sold for about €1,100, with better-quality heifers making from €1,300 to €1,520.
In contrast, autumn-calving heifers were a little harder to sell and prices averaged from €1,000 to €1,100.
Barney said that the low milk price and swing away from autumn calving were evident, with less demand and lower prices being achieved.
In the weanling sale, there were about 110 bulls and heifers on offer. Shipper activity remained strong for plainer weanlings and light calves. As a result, there was a firm floor under the prices of light stock.
Barney said that farmer activity is good, especially for better -quality weanling bulls and heifers.
Where good-quality weanlings from 300kg to 360kg were on offer, prices of over €900/head were achieved. Where continental weanlings over 300kg were on offer, prices ranged mainly from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg for average-quality types.
Lighter bulls from 200kg to 300kg were the best trade and sold from €2.40/kg to €2.60/kg for better-quality types, while prices averaged at about €2.10/kg to €2.30/kg for continentals.
Angus and Hereford calves from 200kg to 300kg ranged from €1.80/kg to €2.55/kg, with quality having a major impact over sale price. Prices averaged at around €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg for average-quality light animals.
Barney said that cull cows are coming out steady, but he anticipates numbers to really increase in the coming weeks. He said that good-quality fleshed Friesian culls over 700kg are making up to €250 over the weight, while average-quality feeding Friesian cows are making around €1.00/kg.
Commission rates are 1.7% to the seller with a €1 entry fee and €9 to the buyer.
Listen to a discussion of current beef and cattle prices in our podcast below:
Listen to "Beef prices under pressure" on Spreaker.
Ringside comment: farmers are more active but quality waning
Store cattle in demand at Armoy Livestock Mart
Steady trade for quality stock in Enniskillen
Slightly improved trade over the weekend
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