Camera at the mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Rathfriland Mart on Friday last. A good entry of store cattle were met with sharp buying demand, as the number of buyers around the ringside increases week on week.

With farmers now looking for grass cattle, there is an improving trade for lighter store cattle that will ideally finish off grass next autumn.

Mart manager Jim McCrum commented on the sale, saying that good-quality cattle remain a super trade and are holding their value at present.

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He added that while plainer cattle have been a harder sell this winter, with more buyers around the ring they are benefitting from increased competition for cattle.

Sale numbers remain steady, with 355 cattle sold on the day, which is consistent with previous sales.

Weanlings and lighter stores are making up a large part of the sale, but as more farmers appear at the ring looking for good-quality store cattle to graze this summer, prices are slowly rising week on week.

Bullocks

On the day, the trade for bullocks was sharp, with buyers competing hard for a small entry of heavy bullocks. Prices hit a peak of £1,245 for a 570kg Charolais animal, or 218p/kg.

Other noted prices on heavy bullocks saw £1,185 paid for a 554kg Simmental animal, with a Belgian Blue bullock weighing 550kg selling for £1,150. Limousin bullocks sold to £1,100 for a 608kg animal.

Good-quality bullocks carrying flesh sold from a general price range of 209p to 218p/kg, with plainer lots selling from 180p to 200p/kg.

Lighter types sold from £750 to £945 for bullocks weighing 400kg to 450kg, while weanlings hit a top price of £850 for a nine-month-old Blue bullock.

Store heifers were a flying trade, with good-quality continental lots an easy sell. At the top of the trade, prices reached a peak of £1,100 for a 626kg Limousin animal, or 175p/kg.

Other noted prices for good-quality store heifers saw a 484kg Limousin animal making £1,065 (220p/kg), with another Limousin heifer weighing 548kg making £1,060 (193p/kg).

Cull cows sold to £920 for a 474kg Limousin, with a 566kg animal making £905, while a 532kg Simmental sold for 532kg.