Watch: top price of €2,900 at Carnew Mart beef show and sale

Carnew Mart held its annual fatstock show and sale of male cattle on Saturday. Manager David Quinn said there was strong demand from upwards of 10 buyers, all looking to source slaughter-fit stock.

The standout price on the day was €2,900 paid for a Belgian Blue-cross bullock weighing 996kg. The bullock, which had just turned three years of age, had also claimed prizes in commercial classes in Tinahely and Tullamore shows.

Age was also not a concern for quality slaughter-fit stock, with a good number of heavy bullocks aged between 30 and 36 months of age.

Prices ranged in general from €2.00/kg to €2.35/kg for cattle weighing over 700kg, with an average price of €2.17/kg paid for just shy of 100 bullocks weighing from 700kg to 900kg.

A further 60 cattle weighing from 650kg to 750kg averaged €2.20/kg, while there was also very brisk demand for forward stores of lighter weights, with over 50 cattle weighing 560kg to 650kg averaging €2.13/kg.

This included an entry of Friesian cattle which sold from €1.62/kg to €1.65/kg and Angus and Hereford cattle bred from the dairy herd that sold from €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg, while at the other end of the quality range, good-quality 2016-born Charolais and Limousin stores capable of killing under 30 months sold from a top of €2.25/kg to €2.45/kg.

These two Friesian bullocks, with an average weight of 543kg and born 07/02/16 and 03/03/16, sold for €980 (€1.80/kg).

There was also strong demand for good-quality continental bulls, with a number of specialist bull beef finishers competing. Heavy top-quality U grading bulls ranging from 450kg to 520kg sold from €2.40/kg to €2.70/kg, with plainer-quality dairy-cross O grading bulls selling back to €2/kg.

This 586kg Hereford-cross bullock, born 03/02/16, sold for €1,085 (€1.85/kg).

Farmers looking to source lighter bulls for castrating or grazing before finishing added extra competition for lighter bulls weighing 320kg to 400kg. Top-quality U grading continental bulls sold from €2.60/kg to €2.80/kg on average, with the best quality lots rising to €3.00/kg.

Lesser-quality types sold back to €2.45/kg, with very few animals below this range, with the exception of Friesian cattle which were low in number. Of those on offer between 300kg and 370kg, prices ranged from €1.40/kg to €1.55/kg.

These three Hereford bullocks, with an average weight of 498kg and born from 16/03/16 to 26/03/16, sold for €880 (€1.88/kg).

David also reported on a firm demand from a number of exporters for an entry of top-quality Blue and Parthenaise bulls. The Blue bulls on offer were top-quality, with a high percentage of prices ranging from €2.85/kg to €3.00/kg with a few very fancy prices paid.

This included a massive price of €1,470 paid for a 354kg bull, €1,560 paid for a 424kg bull and €1,070 paid for a top-quality 294kg bull.

Cow trade

This Belgian Blue-cross cow, born 16/04/07 and weighing 702kg, sold for €1,140 (€1.62/kg).

There were 118 cows on offer, a high percentage of which were Friesians. Cows coming straight from the parlour or possessing a poor cover of flesh sold from €0.90/kg to €1.15/kg on average, with younger or feeding cows with a bit more flesh selling to €1.25/kg, while the best slaughter-fit cows sold to €1.45/kg for heavy cows weighing in excess of 700kg.

This heavy 778kg Friesian cow, born 17/03/15, sold for €1,200 (€1.54/kg).

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