“Another good yard of cattle on Thursday, with light and poorer-quality lots showing a slight reduction,” said Kilkenny Mart manager George Candler of Thursday's sale at the venue.

He said even allowing for this, most animals met a good selling trade.

“Customers were less plentiful mainly due to poorer weather conditions,” he added.

However, despite the changeable weather, George said that in the past few weeks overall there has been a remarkably strong trade for cattle in the present climate of Brexit and reduced factory quotes for beef cattle.

Heifers

In the heifer ring, poorer-quality dairy-cross heifers weighing 350kg to 400kg were selling from €1.60/kg to €1.90/kg.

Better-quality continental breeds were selling from €2/kg to €2.30/kg in the main, with some lots making in excess of €2.40/kg.

Heavier dairy-bred-cross heifers weighing 400kg to 500kg sold from €1.40/kg to €1.90/kg.

Continental-bred heifers were moving from €1.90/kg to €2.40/kg, with some top-quality lots making up to €2.50/kg.

Heifers weighing 500kg to 600kg sold from €1.60/kg to €2.30/kg.

Store bullocks were a steady trade in general.

Good-quality continental breeds were selling on average for €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg.

Top-quality stores were making up to €3/kg.

Poorer-quality dairy-cross bullocks were selling for €1.70kg to €1.90/kg on average.

There was some variation in the quality of cull cows on offer, leading to a large variation in prices.

Friesian cows were selling anywhere from €1/kg to €1.40/kg in the main.

Limousin- and Charolais-cross cows were selling from €1.30/kg to €1.80/kg. A Hereford cow made €1.88/kg.

Analysis for this report was generated from the MartBids app. MartBids is a collaboration between the Irish Farmers Journal and livestock marts. The app is available for download on iPhone or Android on the App Store or Google Play. With this app, all of the information that is displayed on the mart board is now available on your smartphone, long before the animal enters the sales ring.