On Monday, Tuam Mart saw a strong entry of forward beef-type cattle and they met an improved trade on the previous week.
Of the 98 cattle on offer, only one animal didn’t find a new home.
Mart manager Marian Devane said: “We're seeing reduced numbers like all marts and it's down to a drop off in cow numbers the last few years, alongside the strong export demand. Farmers are just not feeding the same number of cattle they once were.
“There is a better bite back in the beef cattle the last two weeks. Factory agents and large finishers were very eager to buy cattle here, with heavy finished cattle and forward stores the most sought after.
"The cull cows have remained steady all year despite the falling beef price,” said Marian.
“Hopefully, it’s a sign of stability in the trade because from September on we will have weanlings coming out and we need a good beef price for these farmers to go back around the weanling ring and purchase back for next year.”
Cull numbers
Cull cow numbers remain low, but there was a steady supply on offer this week, with the top third of cows only seeing a 8c/kg rise.
The bottom third saw a jump of 34c/kg, selling for €2.93/kg on average, with the middle third of cows selling for €3.18/kg, a rise of 23c/kg on the previous week.
Both bullocks and heifers met a more vibrant trade around the ring this week, with heavy cattle weighing over 600kg the most improved.
The top third of bullocks weighing over 600kg sold for €4.15/kg on average, a rise of 26c/kg. Many of these were weighing over 700kg and sold as high as €3,500/head.
The middle and bottom third of these type bullocks sold for €3.87/kg and €3.69/kg, a rise of 46c/kg and 65c/kg. Many of these cattle were traditional-type bullocks fit for slaughter.
Like the bullocks, heavy heifers saw a rise on the previous week, with the top third of heifers weighing over 600kg selling for €4.29/kg, a rise of 35c/kg on last week.
The middle third of these heifers also crossed the €4/kg mark, selling for an average of €4.08/kg, a rise of 32c/kg.
There was sharper demand for the store heifers on offer, with all heifers weighing from 350kg up to 500kg seeing rise of 10c/kg to 30c/kg, with lighter heifers not far of the €5/kg mark.
