Calf entries in mart sales are falling sharply. This, combined with live exporters keen to satisfy strong appetite in Spain and the Netherlands, is inserting more competition into the trade.
Prices for light Friesian bulls range from €60 to €90, with better-quality calves selling to €120 and aged lots to €170 to €190 per head.
There is a wide differential in prices paid for Angus and Hereford calves.
Light calves bred from heifers or crossbred cows are selling from €70 to €140, with better-quality young calves rising to €200. Calves a few weeks of age are selling from €250 to €300, with strong lots rising to and in cases exceeding the €300 mark.
Continental-bred calves are selling on average from €280 to €380 for quality Limousin and Belgian Blue lots, with prices exceeding the €400 mark and rising as high as €480 to €500 for aged bull calves.
Meanwhile, demand for store cattle and feeding cows has firmed, with a recovery in grass supplies attracting more farmers to the ring.
Steers
Supplies of forward-store continental-bred bullocks are at a premium in many areas. Demand is such that some finishers are holding slaughter-fit cattle finishing off grass for longer, as they fear they will struggle to replace numbers. Prices range from €2.20/kg to €2.50/kg for quality R and U grading lots, with traditional-bred animals averaging €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg. The lift in demand is also benefitting Friesian stores, with prices dependent on quality and ranging from €1.50/kg to €1.80/kg for O grading types finishing under 30 months of age.
Heifers
Like steers, entries of forward store heifers are scarce. The exception to this is Angus and Hereford heifers, which are appearing in significant numbers in dairy strongholds. Prices are dependent on quality, with poorest demand for heifers not capable of finishing into liveweights of 480kg- to 500kg-plus. Prices for these lots range from €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg, with the potential grade at slaughter also having a big effect on prices paid. In contrast, good-quality continental-cross heifers weighing 400kg to 480kg are selling from €2.15/kg to €1.40/kg.
Weanlings
The quality of weanlings on offer is being helped by July- to September-born lots appearing in greater numbers. R grading lots in the 300kg to 400kg weight category are selling on average from €2.20/kg to €2.35/kg, while U grading bulls are selling to €2.50/kg. Live export demand is also present in special sales, with small numbers of top-quality U and E grading bulls rising to €2.70/kg to €3.00/kg. Plainer-quality bulls born in spring 2018 are a stickier trade, with prices ranging from €2.00/kg to €2.25/kg on average.
Read more
Camera at the Mart: rain-driven grass growth recovery boosts buyer demand
Camera at the Mart: quality cows top firm trade in Donegal Mart
Camera at the Mart: lamb prices up €4 to €5 in Tullow Mart
Camera at the Mart: solid store cattle trade at Thainstone
Northern View: beef plants cut quotes by 4p/kg
Calf entries in mart sales are falling sharply. This, combined with live exporters keen to satisfy strong appetite in Spain and the Netherlands, is inserting more competition into the trade.
Prices for light Friesian bulls range from €60 to €90, with better-quality calves selling to €120 and aged lots to €170 to €190 per head.
There is a wide differential in prices paid for Angus and Hereford calves.
Light calves bred from heifers or crossbred cows are selling from €70 to €140, with better-quality young calves rising to €200. Calves a few weeks of age are selling from €250 to €300, with strong lots rising to and in cases exceeding the €300 mark.
Continental-bred calves are selling on average from €280 to €380 for quality Limousin and Belgian Blue lots, with prices exceeding the €400 mark and rising as high as €480 to €500 for aged bull calves.
Meanwhile, demand for store cattle and feeding cows has firmed, with a recovery in grass supplies attracting more farmers to the ring.
Steers
Supplies of forward-store continental-bred bullocks are at a premium in many areas. Demand is such that some finishers are holding slaughter-fit cattle finishing off grass for longer, as they fear they will struggle to replace numbers. Prices range from €2.20/kg to €2.50/kg for quality R and U grading lots, with traditional-bred animals averaging €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg. The lift in demand is also benefitting Friesian stores, with prices dependent on quality and ranging from €1.50/kg to €1.80/kg for O grading types finishing under 30 months of age.
Heifers
Like steers, entries of forward store heifers are scarce. The exception to this is Angus and Hereford heifers, which are appearing in significant numbers in dairy strongholds. Prices are dependent on quality, with poorest demand for heifers not capable of finishing into liveweights of 480kg- to 500kg-plus. Prices for these lots range from €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg, with the potential grade at slaughter also having a big effect on prices paid. In contrast, good-quality continental-cross heifers weighing 400kg to 480kg are selling from €2.15/kg to €1.40/kg.
Weanlings
The quality of weanlings on offer is being helped by July- to September-born lots appearing in greater numbers. R grading lots in the 300kg to 400kg weight category are selling on average from €2.20/kg to €2.35/kg, while U grading bulls are selling to €2.50/kg. Live export demand is also present in special sales, with small numbers of top-quality U and E grading bulls rising to €2.70/kg to €3.00/kg. Plainer-quality bulls born in spring 2018 are a stickier trade, with prices ranging from €2.00/kg to €2.25/kg on average.
Read more
Camera at the Mart: rain-driven grass growth recovery boosts buyer demand
Camera at the Mart: quality cows top firm trade in Donegal Mart
Camera at the Mart: lamb prices up €4 to €5 in Tullow Mart
Camera at the Mart: solid store cattle trade at Thainstone
Northern View: beef plants cut quotes by 4p/kg
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