Sharper cattle trade at Dungannon Mart

Steady numbers and increased buying demand has resulted in improved cattle prices at Dungannon Mart.

Kieran Mailey

24 April 2019

This Limousin bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 655kg, sold for £1,310.

Camera at the Mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Dungannon Mart where there was a much firmer trade for all classes of livestock last week.Leading the trade was an excellent show of store cattle suited to grazing and buyers were extremely competitive on top-quality continental types.

Camera at the Mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Dungannon Mart where there was a much firmer trade for all classes of livestock last week.

Leading the trade was an excellent show of store cattle suited to grazing and buyers were extremely competitive on top-quality continental types.

This Limousin bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 650kg, sold for £1,260.

Heavier stores were also an improved trade, with heifers in particular being met with brisk bidding, while drop calves were a solid trade.

Mart manager Trevor Wylie said cattle have been an improving trade for a number of weeks, buoyed by strong demand for grazing cattle.

This Limousin bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 575kg , sold for £1,195.

He said cattle throughput remains steady, which is also helping to create more of an edge to the trade.

Bullocks reached a peak of £1,475 for a 730kg Charolais animal, which made 202p/kg.

This Limousin bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 605kg, sold for £1,135.

Other standout prices saw a 670kg Limousin animal sell for £1,420, or 212p/kg, with a 660kg Limousin making £1,395, or 210p/kg.

Heavy cattle suited to a short intensive finishing period generally sold upwards from 200p/kg for continental types weighing over 600kg, with plainer types making upwards from 180p/kg.

This Charolais heifer, born July 2017 and weighing 460kg, sold for £860.

Forward store bullocks over 500kg sold to £1,240 for a 595kg Simmental animal with other top-quality lots making £1,140 for a 520kg Simmental and £1,150 paid for a 525kg Limousin animal.

This Charolais heifer, born July 2017 and weighing 455kg, sold for £920.

Lighter bullocks were a firm trade, with a 475kg Limousin making £1,158 and a 480kg animal making £1,045.

Heifers sold to a top price of £1,400 for a 625kg Charolais, or 224p/kg. Forward heifers sold to £1,130 for a 570kg Limousin animal with a 510kg Charolais making £1,030.

This Angus heifer, born September 2017 and weighing 365kg, sold for £590.

Lighter heifers sold to £935 for a 455kg Charolais animal with a 435kg animal making £915. Angus heifers sold to £750 for a 375kg animal with a 390kg Charolais making £850.

Weanlings were a super trade with a top price of £940 paid for a 410kg Limousin steer. The top heifer price was £930 for a 440kg Limousin.

This Angus heifer, born July 2017 and weighing 425kg, sold for £720.

Top-quality continental weanling steers typically sold from 213p to 249p/kg with a 315kg Limousin steer making £755, while heifers typically sold from 207p to 228p/kg.

Drop calves sold to £450 for a four-week-old Blonde D’Aquitaine bull calf, with Charolais bull calves selling to £400.