Irish exporters continue to drive the weanling trade, with another exporter entering the market this week with a contract to export weanlings to Turkey.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the southern-based exporter has plans for three boatloads of weanlings to be shipped at the end of 2022 and early in 2023.

A group of Turkish buyers visited farms in the west of Ireland last week to view both Charolais and Limousin weanlings that are currently being purchased for export.

They also visited exporter lairages to view facilities and go through procedures required before export can take place.

The group of buyers is looking for Charolais and Limousin male weanlings between 300kg and 370kg. These weanlings are understood to be costing the Turkish buyers €4.20/kg landed in Turkey.

It is expected that these buyers will put an important floor in the market over the next few months as lighter plainer calves come to the market. The trade for 300-400kg weanlings has remained steady this week with the top third of weanlings coming in at €3.11/kg and the average weanling trading at €2.74/kg.

Weanling exports are running at 16,000 head ahead of the same period in 2021. Mart managers are reporting a slight drop-off in quality in the last week. With most of the shows and sales over, the best weanlings have been sold.

Beef trade

Meanwhile, this week’s beef trade also remains steady, with industry sources predicting that the beef price slide has stopped and quotes will remain firm, if not improved, in the coming weeks.

Factories are currently quoting similar prices for next week’s four day kill. Bullocks are working off €4.50/kg to €4.65/kg with heifers trading at €4.55/kg to €4.70/kg. The cow trade remains under pressure with cows trading from €3.90/kg to €4.40/kg.