Ballyjamesduff Mart in Co Cavan recorded a brisk trade across forward store, store and weanling cattle on Tuesday.
Manager John Tevlin said the trade has exceeded expectations in recent weeks.
Prices are running well ahead of the beef trade and buyers sourcing cattle for grass-based systems and for longer-term finishing are especially active for good-quality continental cattle.
The strongest demand was for 2019-born heifers and bullocks. Nice-quality R+ and U grading cattle weighing 400kg to 480kg that still had scope to achieve a good thrive off grass and slaughter at the desired factory specifications averaged from €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg.
Similar-weight R grading cattle carrying a heavier cover of flesh and having less scope to achieve cheap weight gain sold back to €2.05/kg to €2.15/kg.
Small numbers of Angus and Hereford cattle sold from €1.85/kg to €2.05/kg for stores weighing 360kg to 420kg.
Heavier 2018-born continental forward stores weighing 530kg to 550kg upwards sold on average from €2.00/kg to €2.15/kg for lots capable of finishing less than 30 months of age and ticking all the boxes on specification.
The best-quality lots in this category pushed prices to €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg, while Angus and Hereford lots bred from the dairy herd traded from €1.80/kg to €2.00/kg.
The weanling bull and heifer trade was also described as vibrant. There were plenty of farmer buyers in the market for summer- and autumn-born male cattle presented as bullocks, while bull-beef finishers and exporters were active for good-quality bulls.
Farmers looking to source heifers with breeding potential added competition into the heifer trade.
This witnessed the top prices for weanlings and yearlings weighing 280kg to 370kg averaging in the region of €2.70/kg to €3.00/kg, with a select number of lots (such as the Limousin heifer pictured) exceeding €3/kg. R grading lots sold from €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg on average, with lesser-quality lots back to €2/kg.
Wednesday’s sale for dry cows and calves was also brisk, with prices largely unchanged despite factory pressure on cows, and was helped by strong demand from northern buyers.
