Loughrea Mart in Co Galway held its autumn show and sale of cattle last Saturday. The sale was held a couple weeks earlier than normal, with mart manager Jimmy Cooney explaining that farmers have been presenting cattle in bigger numbers earlier this year.

This is partly due to Brexit and coronavirus concerns and a decision was taken to pull forward the sale date to satisfy this appetite.

There were no such concerns on the buyer front, with finishers anxious for good-quality continental stores, while factory agents competed strongly for any slaughter-fit stock.

This Charolais cross heifer weighing 690kg and born 04/03/2018 sold for €1,570 (€2.28/kg).

This Limousin cross cow weighing 615kg and born 08/11/2011 sold for €1,080 (€1.76/kg).

Good continental R grading heifers weighing 500kg to 570kg ranged in price from €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg for lots that will finish quickly at a lower carcase weight. Heifers with greater scope to carry weight and possibly grade U when slaughtered and meet all quality payment system (QPS) requirements attracted stronger competition and hit €2.15/kg to €2.30/kg on average and as high as €2.40/kg.

It was a similar trend for heavier heifers, but Jimmy said the demand for slaughter-fit stock was such that agents were not overly concerned with age limits.

This young Hereford-cross cow born 16/06/2017 and weighing 660kg sold for €1,050 (€1.59/kg)

This aged Limousin cross feeding cow born 20/06/2008 and weighing 645kg sold for €840 (€1.30/kg).

This prize-winning Limousin cross cow weighing 810kg and born 22/6/2011 sold for €1,680 (€2.07/kg).

He said that there was some super-quality heifers on offer, weighing from 650kg to 800kg and commanding prices of €2.05/kg to €2.15/kg, with plainer-quality types averaging around the €2/kg mark.

Jimmy said that the good grass growing year has been a big help to farmers and that it resulted in a yard of bullocks with quality that hasn’t been seen for several years. Prices followed those paid for heifers closely, with very little variation for similar quality cattle.

Heavy bullocks aged over 30 months sold from €1.95/kg to €2.05/kg on average, with select top-quality lots rising to €2.20/kg and higher.

This spring 2018-born Charolais-cross bullock weighing 820kg sold for €1,850 (€2.26/kg).

This batch of spring-2018 born Limousin bullocks weighing 725kg sold for €1,460 (€2.01/kg).

These seven top-quality Charolais cross bullocks averaging around 30 months of age and weighing 742kg sold for €1,480 (€1.99/kg).

This 610kg Charolais cross heifer with a five-star €uro-Star rating and born 30/04/2019 sold for €1,320 (€2.16/kg).

This 710kg Limousin-cross cow born 08/04/2013 sold for €1,580 (€2.23/kg).

The cow trade was a highlight of the sale, with agents purchasing for wholesalers and factories locking horns and also meeting competition from buyers purchasing cows to go to Northern Ireland.

Large-framed R+ and U grading cows weighing upwards of 700kg sold from €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg, with a selection exceeding this range.

This Charolais-cross cow weighing 745kg and born 17/03/2017 sold for €1,200 (€1.61/kg).

This quality Limousin cross cow weighing 750kg and born 07/03/2016 sold for €1,510 (€2.01/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer weighing 605kg and born 03/09/2018 sold for €1,400 (€2.31/kg).

This 705kg Aberdeen-cross cow born 30/12/2010 sold for €980 (€1.39/kg)

This 725kg Charolais heifer born 19/02/2018 sold for €1,650 (€2.27/kg).

Demand was particularly strong for younger cows or those with good kill-out potential.

Lesser-quality and lighter cows were also a good trade, ranging in price from €1.55/kg to €1.80/kg on average, while aged cows lacking flesh and O grading feeding cows sold from €1.30/kg to €1.40/kg.