The current difficult financial state of the dairy sector was reflected in the subdued trade in Ballymena mart last Friday 18 March for the sale of 75 head of mostly Holstein-bred dairy cattle.

The biggest offering was freshly calved heifers, with 41 sold to an average price of £885. A top price of £1,210 was paid for a freshly calved heifer that was yielding 39 litres. Other top prices included early-lactation heifers selling at £1,180 and £1,120, as well as three heifers that sold for £1,100.

Five springing heifers made £770 and 11 freshly calved cows starting their second lactation averaged £860. Mature cows, aged from five to nine years old, averaged £688 with one November 2011-born third calver making the highest price of £1,000.

Maiden heifers were sold mostly in pairs from £420 to £580, with 11 heifers overall averaging £504. A 14-month-old bull, Keely Gold Anthony, sold for 1,000gns and another three-and-a-half-year-old bull from a different herd sold for 860gns.

Sellers seemed to be resigned to the lower prices on offer, which in some cases were little more than cull cow price.

Only two lots remained unsold – one was a freshly calved heifer that was yielding 31 litres and passed at £960 and the other was a 14-month-old bull, Keely Tiptop Maze, passed at 700gns.