Camera at the mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Swatragh on Monday of this week. Cattle numbers have been increasing since early April, with 120 animals forwarded for sale and all met with brisk bidding from a packed ringside of buyers.

Increased throughput of lighter and mid-weight store cattle is the main reason for sale numbers rising in recent weeks, mostly driven by the mart running a grazing cattle competition during April and early May.

On the day, the trade for cattle was excellent, with heifers in particular a super trade.

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Mart manager Paul Coyle commented on the sale, saying that numbers have recovered after a slow spring.

He added that more buyers are also attending sales and looking for good-quality store cattle for grazing and intensive finishing.

Buying demand for heifers was intense and prices reached a peak of £1,040 on two occasions, once for a 490kg Charolais animal and again for a Limousin heifer weighing 524kg.

The main offering of heifers ranged from 380kg to 450kg and were ideal animals to go straight to grass. Prices paid were reflected in quality, with Charolais and Limousin animals in strong demand.

Prices for good store heifers weighing over 400kg regularly sold from £850 to £1,000, with an exceptional 350kg Charolais animal making £1,010, or 289p/kg.

Plainer heifers with some level of dairy breeding were a steady trade, selling from £730 to £870 in most cases.

Lighter heifers below 350kg sold from £650 to £725 for continental types, with plainer cattle selling upwards from £500.

There was a smaller entry of bullocks, with a top price of £1,320 paid for a 588kg Angus animal.

Forward bullocks and a small entry of bulls over 500kg sold from £1,020 to £1,170 for good-quality continental types.

Mid-weight store bullocks weighing 400kg to 480kg and suited to grazing sold from £800 to £960 for continental types.

Plainer cattle sold for £70 to £120 less, while lighter bullocks sold from £600 to £840, with good-quality traditional breeds weighing 370kg to 400kg selling well.

Cull cows sold to £980 with cows and calves making £1,320.