A recent lift in beef price certainly seemed to aid buyer confidence in Dungarvan Mart at the weekly cattle sale on Monday last.
Of the 304 cattle entered, 302 were knocked down to new homes, while solid prices were seen across all classes of cattle.
Mart manager Kevin Casey noted: “It was very encouraging to witness a much stronger and more vibrant trade today, with a notable increase in the number of grass buyers around the ringside.
“Forward and factory-fit cattle also experienced a much-improved demand, reflecting growing confidence in the beef market as factory supplies continue to tighten.
“We also had a special entry of 56 reared calves from a local farmer, which proved to be a great success.
“The calves attracted exceptionally strong demand from exporters, while local farmer buyers were also keen to secure stock, resulting in a very competitive trade.”
Full calf clearance
A total of 42 bull calves and 60 heifers met with a full clearance, with bull calves averaging at €5.30/kg and heifers close behind at €5.20/kg.
The large selection of reared calves mentioned above saw a select number sell above €700/head for the bulls, while heifers traded to a high of €740/head for a four-month-old Belgian Blue-cross weighing 146kg.
In the bullock ring, 93 bullocks met with a full clearance, with an average price paid of €3.74/kg across all weights.
Bullocks traded from €3.20/kg for plainer and low-weight-for-age types, while highs of €4.75/kg were paid for quality continental-type bullocks, particularly, midweight bullocks suitable for summering at grass and finishing in winter. Up to €4.30/kg was also seen for Angus-cross yearling bullocks.
Sharp trade
Heifers were a sharper trade, averaging €4/kg across 71 of the 73 lots sold.
Price range in the heifers varied between €3.50/kg and €4.60/kg, with Angus-cross heifers born spring 2024 and weighing between 340kg and 415kg achieving some of the highest prices per kilo on the day.
Top call of the sale in the heifers was a batch of six Angus-crosses aged 14 months and weighing 300kg, which went on to sell for €1,380/head (€4.60/kg).
Yet again, a full clearance was achieved in the cow ring, with keen demand from buyers for both finished and feeder type cows.
Average price paid tallied to €2.83/kg, with a strong mix of suckler and dairy cows on offer. Price range in the cow ring went from €1.98/kg to highs of €3.36/kg.
