Last Saturday’s sale at Ballinasloe Mart saw a slightly smaller entry of stock on offer given the time of year. Saturday’s sale was for calves, weanlings and suckler cows, with the largest numbers on offer being weanlings.

The average price for bulls across the board was €2.44/kg, while heifers averaged €2.72/kg.

Again, farmer buyers were the main demand, while there was some export demand also. Heavy bulls over 400kg were scarce, but where available sold mainly from €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg. The majority of weanling bulls on offer were from 300kg to 400kg and these were a solid trade.

Mart manager Eilish Curley said that the average bull sold mainly from €450 to €550 along with the weight. Top-quality types in the same weight range were met with strong demand once again and prices for these ranged mainly from €550 to €700 along with the weight.

There was a good share of light bulls on offer also, with the majority from 250kg to 280kg. Prices for these averaged from €400 to €500 along with the weight. Top-quality types sold from €500 to €580 along with the weight.

Weanling heifers were a solid trade, with some being met with slightly higher prices to last week. Heifers from 300kg to 400kg again were the most common and sold from €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg or from €450 to €600 over the weight for average-quality types. Plainer heifers sold from €380 to €420 along with the weight.

Top-quality heifers in the same weight range sold from €580 to €700 over the weight. Light types under 300kg were another solid trade, driven primarily by farmer demand. Prices for these ranged mainly from €2.60/kg to €2.70/kg, with top-quality heifers making well over €3.00/kg.

Eilish said that the trade for cull cows was very strong once again and numbers are well up on the same period last year. She added that price performance of fleshed and feeding cows has been very strong all spring.

Cows with calves at foot averaged €1,360, with a top price of €1,760 being achieved, while in-calf cows averaged €1,305, with prices topping out at €1,680.

Commission rates are €9 to the buyer and 1.75% to the seller.

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