Last Saturday’s sale at Cashel Mart saw a slightly smaller entry of calves on offer than the previous week. Mart manager Robert De Vere Hunt said that numbers will remain around the 700 mark for the coming weeks.

In terms of demand, the majority of exporters were in attendance at the mart, which helped keep a firm floor under prices. They were active for Frieisan bull calves suitable for the Spanish and Dutch markets.

Exporters purchased about 20% of the calves on offer at the sale, with the main demand for various types of calves being farmer-driven.

Friesian bull calves sold mainly from €80 to €120, with Herefords selling from €170 for light types, with better-quality calves making from €250 to €350.

Robert said that there are little to no jobber calves on offer at the mart, with farmers being the main sellers.

In terms of the type of calf on offer, he said that, in the last few years, it has been more evident that farmers who have expanded are selling calves a little earlier in order to mange labour more efficiently. He said the effect is that there are fewer farmers feeding on calves to sell as runners. However, those who are keeping the bulls for a little longer are getting rewarded for it through much higher sale prices.