Sale prices of breeding heifers for the dairy herd are back €200 to €300/head, as a glut of stock and fewer buyers has hammered the trade.

Maiden heifers from commercial dairy herds are generally making around €500 to €700/head in recent sales, compared with €800 to €1,000/head paid last year.

However, strong prices are still being paid for calved heifers and young cows, with the lively demand for cull cows helping to bolster demand.

“The trade for maiden heifers is very poor, there is a massive oversupply of stock,” said Seán Leahy of Corrin Mart.

Stock prices

He maintained that a lot of the poorer-quality heifers are just about making beef stock prices.

Maiden heifers ranged in price from €400/head to €1,000/head at a recent sale in Corrin Mart. The majority made between €600 and €700, Leahy said.

It was a similar story in the midlands. Michael Harty of Central Auctions said there was slow demand for maiden heifers at Nenagh Mart recently, with most selling in the €550 to €700/head price range.

Strong prices are still being paid for calved heifers and young cows, with the lively demand for cull cows helping to bolster demand.

There were not as many buyers around the ring for maiden heifers

With fewer new entrants into dairying and expansion more or less stalled, Harty said there were not as many buyers around the ring for maiden heifers.

The trade for cows in milk remains firm. George Candler of Kilkenny Mart said an average of €1,630 was paid for calved heifers and young cows at a recent clearance sale.

Similar prices were paid in Nenagh recently. Calved heifers made from €1,200 to €1,700/head, with €1,200 to €1,400/head being paid for second- and third-calvers.

“It adds up when cull cows are such a good trade and making up to €2/kg and a shake with it. You haven’t to add a lot to those sorts of prices and you have replaced an old cow with a good young heifer,” Harty said.

Leahy also reported very strong prices for calved heifers and young cows at Corrin Mart. The combination of high milk prices and strong cull cow prices was adding more bite to the trade, he said.