Demand for calved cows exceeds supply at dairy sales all over the country. At Corrin mart, Fermoy, Co Cork, last Friday, 67 calved cows sold ranging from €1,500 to €1,800 each.

Mart manager Sean Leahy said: “Unlike other years all buyers are local dairy farmers either starting in milk or expanding dairy herds. In recent years, large numbers of freshly calved cows sold at this time of the year went to UK buyers.”

The lower price range was for freshly calved two-year-old heifers with little or no information available. The higher price range was for three-year-old freshly calved heifers with good milk recording data available.

The next dairy sale at Corrin Mart is on Friday 13 March and mart manager Sean Leahy expects to have over 100 calved cows for sale.