Watch: serious demand drives beef cattle to €3.45/kg in Ennis

Ennis Mart in Co Clare recorded a flying trade for any slaughter-fit stock in its opening cattle sale of 2025.

Competition was intensified by the fact that entries were curtailed by adverse weather, leaving buyers locking horns for a reduced entry of 125 head.

The mart reports that "anything with any bit of flesh was in serious demand", adding that there was quite a few slaughter-fit cows and heifers on offer, whereas the majority of the bullock entry was stores.

Heavier fleshed R+ and U grading cows exceeded the €3/kg mark, rising to a top price per kilo of €3.38/kg for a quality 760kg Limousin cow.

Lighter and plainer-quality continental cows sold from €2.70/kg to €2.90/kg, while slaughter-fit Friesian cows ranged from €2/kg to €2.35/kg.

MartBids analysis shows that the 40 dry cows averaged €2.49/kg, with the top third of cows selling for €3.01/kg and the bottom third for €1.93/kg.

This top-quality Charolais-cross cow weighing 815kg and born 02/09/2021 sold for €2,660 (€3.26/kg).

This purebred Limousin cow weighing 760kg and born 04/10/2019 sold for €2,570 (€3.38/kg).

This Limousin cow-heifer born 27/12/2020 and weighing 730kg sold for €2,380 (€3.26/kg).

This Charolais-cross cow born 28/04/2018 and weighing 795kg sold for €2,150 (€2.70/kg).

Weighing 700kg, this Aberdeen Angus cow born 22/03/2017 sold for €1,910 (€2.73/kg).

This Friesian-cross cow weighing 625kg, born 05/02/2019 and possessing a good cover of flesh sold for €1,470 (€2.35/kg).

This aged Friesian-cross cow born 20/02/2015 and weighing 585kg sold for €1,130 (€1.93/kg).

Heifer trade

The entry of about 15 heifers weighing 500kg to 600kg were all top-quality heifers with a good cover of flesh and this was reflected in the strong prices.

Heifers ranged in price from €3.07/kg for a Hereford-cross heifer to a top price per kilo of €3.45/kg on three occasions for super-quality Limousin heifers weighing around 550kg.

Two top-quality black Limousin-cross heifers born March 2023 and weighing 545kg on average sold for €1,880 (€3.45/kg).

Weighing 595kg, this June-2021 born Simmental heifer sold for €1,920 (€3.23/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer born 04/10/2022 and weighing 580kg sold for €1,850 (€3.19/kg).

This Shorthorn-cross heifer weighing 590kg and born 26/02/2023 sold for €1,960 (€3.32/kg).

The entry of lighter heifers weighing 400kg to 500kg included some dairy-cross types, which lowered average prices.

Such heifers sold from €2.70/kg to €3/kg, while better-quality lots increased to €3.20/kg, but quality was much lower than the entry of heavier lots.