Raphoe Mart’s weanling show and sale on Tuesday 6 October saw quality cattle command solid prices.
Mart manager Anne Harkin noted: “While price was expectedly back on last year, the quality of the stock was outstanding. Everyone was happy with the prices and we had only three cattle go home unsold on the night.
“We had a mixture of buyers. We did have some shippers, but most of all the farmers were very active for quality cattle and really drove the trade on.
“We had some finishers that purchased good numbers of cattle, with some northern buyers also present on the night.
“There was a mixture of stock, with some traditional breeds included, but the majority of cattle were Charolais and Limousin-cross,” she said.
Some 248 weanling bulls and heifers were present on the night, with 245 selling, to give a clearance rate of 99%.
Ringside activity was very prevalent, with 90% of the cattle sold on the night being knocked down to ringside buyers.
Heifer weanlings
Heifer weanlings were a small percentage of the sale, with just 62 heifer weanlings present.
Heifers weighing from 200kg to 300kg totalled 25 in number and traded to an average of €4.62/kg, with the top and bottom third averaging €5.60/kg and €3.78/kg respectively.
Heavier lots were a slightly stickier trade, with €4.22/kg of an average paid for those weighing 300kg to 400kg, with the top and bottom third of heifers of this weight circa 80c/kg above and below this respectively.
A small number of heifers over 400kg traded to an average of €4.58/kg.
Bull weanlings
Quality dictated prices in the bull ring, with bulls of good shape and weight or age capable of selling for €5.40/kg and above, with heavier types over 450kg still crossing the €5.20/kg mark where shape was present, with these types being keenly sought by bull beef finishers.
Slightly poorer-shaped R grading bulls sold from €4.70/kg upwards, with better-quality store types trading between €5/kg and €5.20/kg.
Prizewinners
Northern buyers and farmers seeking bullocks to finish were active for these types.
Prices of €5.50/kg and above were largely reserved for quality light weanlings weighing below 310kg, with some of the heavier prizewinning bulls reaching heights of €6.17/kg, with the highest price going to a Limousin-cross bull born October 2025 and weighing 565kg which went on to sell for €2,940 (€5.20/kg).
