Ballyjamesduff Mart in Co Cavan hosted its weekly sale of heifers and bullocks on Tuesday 7 July.

Numbers through the yard remained steady for the time of year with a total entry of 209 bullocks and heifers on the day.

Top price for the sale was given to a January 2020-born Charolais bullock that weighed 800kg and sold for €2,420 (€3.03/kg).

Heifers

Heifers were a super trade with an appetite for both feeding and factory-fit lots.

Lighter heifers for feeding in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket ranged in price from €2.17/kg to €2.84/kg.

Heifers weighing from 400kg to 500kg were trading €2.57/kg with the top price in this weight bracket €3.27/kg.

Heavier heifers over 500kg were a super trade averaging €2.70/kg, with a number of heifers fetching over €3.00/kg on multiple occasions.

This June 2021-born Charolais heifer weighed 325kg and sold for €870 (€2.68/kg).

This April 2021-born Charolais heifer weighed 450kg and sold for €1,030 (€2.45/kg).

This June 2019-born Aberdeen Angus heifer weighed 530kg and sold for €1,280 (€2.42/kg).

This March 2020-born Hereford heifer weighed 625kg and sold for €1,510 (€2.42/kg).

Bullocks

There was a large selection of bullocks on the day with a total of 112 bullocks through the ring.

Bullocks weighing between 400kg and 500kg ranged in price from €1.55/kg for dairy-bred lots up to €2.99/kg for super continental types.

Factory-fit bullocks weighing over 700kg were the highlight of the sale, with a total of eight bullocks crossing the €2,200 mark leaving an average of €2.63/kg.

This November 2019-born Limousin bullock weighed 755kg and sold for €2,200 (€2.91/kg).

This September 2019-born Limousin bullock weighed 740kg and sold for €2,200 (€2.98/kg).

This March 2020-born Limousin bullock weighed 655kg and sold for €1,800 (€2.75/kg).

This May 2020-born Charolais bullock weighed 560kg and sold for €1,560 (€2.79/kg).

This February 2021-born Simmental bullock weighed 505kg and sold for €1,550 (€3.07/kg).

This August 2020-born Limousin bullock weighed 470kg and sold for €1,100 (€2.34/kg).

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, mart manager John Tevlin said: “We had a great sale today with demand still remaining for those short-keep and heavier-fleshed lots.

“There seems to be a strong confidence in the market which should have a positive effect on the trade for the back end of the year.”

Ballyjamesduff Mart will host its next special sale on Wednesday 10 August for a breeding and fatstock sale of heifers.