Central Auctions mart manager Michael Harty said that the poor weather conditions definitely had an effect on numbers at Monday’s general sale in Birr Mart, but trade held firm.

“Good cattle have been a good trade all the time, but the poorer-quality animal has certainly seen a lift of late,” he said.

This Friesian cow, born February 2015 and weighing 660kg, sold for €890 (€1.35/kg).

Cows

Monday’s sale saw over 30 lots of dry cows offered, with a good trade for all types.

Commenting on the cow trade, Harty said: “Cows are very strong at the moment with serious appetite among buyers.”

These comments are supported by MartBids data, which shows average dry cow prices for the first two weeks of February are up 19c/kg from 2019 to €1.47/kg.

Cows in the bottom 25% on quality are up 10c/kg to €1.12/kg, while the top 25% of cows are up a full 21c/kg to €1.98/kg.

This Simmental-cross cow, born April 2012 and weighing 715kg, sold for €1,200 (€1.68/kg).

On the day, Friesian cows started at 80c/kg and climbed to €1.35/kg for better-fleshed types.

On a per-head basis, the typical range was between €500 and €900. A selection of continental cows sold for between €1.50/kg and €1.68/kg.

Commission rates in Birr Mart are €9/head to the buyer and €10 to €15/head to the seller.

This Limousin-cross cow, born March 2015 and weighing 645kg, sold for €890 (€1.38/kg).

This Angus-cross cow, born February 2015 and weighing 615kg, sold for €690 (€1.12/kg).

This Friesian cow, born February 2015 and weighing 715kg, sold for €870 (€1.22/kg).