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Camera at the Mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Dungannon Mart last week, where there was another good showing of store cattle.
Numbers have been holding relatively steady throughout September, but expectations are that more cattle will start coming forward through October as weanlings are offered for sale.
Commenting on the sale, mart manager Trevor Wylie said that the cattle trade is relatively steady, with plenty of buyers attending weekly sales looking for all classes of stock.
He said that with a slower beef trade, buyers are more conscious of what they can afford to pay for livestock.
However, good-quality cattle are still making reasonable money relative to beef prices.
Heavy fleshed cattle are in most demand, especially good-quality heifers, but lighter cattle are a solid trade. He added that there has been more cows offloaded recently, met with steady demand.
Topping the trade for bullocks was a 745kg Limousin which made £1,325, or 178p/kg. Other stand-out prices saw £1,275 paid for a 665kg Limousin, with £1,185 paid on two occasions for a 605kg Limousin and a 625kg Charolais.
Mid-weight bullocks were a mixed trade, with price heavily dependent on cattle quality. A 585kg Charolais animal made 192p/kg, selling to £1,120.
Lighter lots weighing 400kg to 500kg made 198p to 210p/kg at the top end, with a 475kg Charolais making £970 and a 420kg Limousin making £865. A 400kg Limousin sold to £840.
Heifers were a sharper trade on previous weeks and topped out at £1,320 for a 745kg Charolais animal, making 177p/kg.
Other noted prices saw £1,295 paid for a 670kg Charolais animal, with £1,275 paid on a 690kg animal.
Short-keep Limousin heifers made £1,050 for a 550kg animal. Mid-weight stores made £970 for a 490kg Charolais, with a 505kg Limousin making £960.
Lighter types saw a Blonde d’Aquitaine heifer sell to £815 for a 440kg animal and a 405kg Charolais making £805.
Fat cows sold to a top price of £800 for a 650kg Charolais animal, or 123p/kg. Weanlings sold to a top price of £870 for a 420kg Charolais steer, or 207p/kg. Weanling heifers sold to £730 for a 340kg Simmental animal, or 215p/kg.
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