There were 1,850 head on offer at Kilmallock Mart, Co Limerick, on Monday, including 550 calves, while its seasonal calf sales held on Wednesday evenings are also handling in excess of 500 calves.
Kilmallock Mart’s Denis Kirby reported on a solid trade and said prices are holding steady, with demand for grass cattle building gradually.
Angus-cross bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight category averaged €2.53/kg, with Hereford-cross not far behind at an average of €2.48/kg.
Angus-crosses weighing 500kg to 600kg averaged €2.58/kg, with top prices ranging from €2.60/kg to €2.70/kg, with Hereford-crosses selling on average for €2.47/kg.
The trade for Friesian bullocks is steady, with prices for cattle approaching slaughter stronger, ranging on average from €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg, while cattle in the 400kg to 500kg weight category are selling from €2.00/kg to €2.30/kg.
Angus-cross heifers weighing 400kg to 500kg averaged around the €2.30/kg mark, with Hereford-crosses at €2.38/kg and continental-crosses ranging anywhere from €2.10/kg to €2.25/kg for plainer-quality dairy-crosses and rising to €2.50/kg and higher for suckler-bred stock.
Hereford- and Angus-crosses weighing 500kg to 550kg and closer to slaughter averaged from €2.35/kg to €2.40/kg, with top prices for slaughter-fit stock rising to €2.50/kg.
Friesian cows which Denis describes as 50% to 60% covered are trading from €1.40/kg to €1.75/kg, with better-quality and well-fleshed lots achieving prices as high as €2/kg to €2.20/kg.
Fleshed continental cows were a fantastic trade, with top prices rising to €2.50/kg to €2.75/kg.
The quality of calves on offer has lifted with more Angus- and Hereford-crosses appearing from traditional dairy herds that retain calves for longer.
These calves are trading from €150 to €300, with light Angus and Hereford from crossbred cows back to €80 to €150.
Friesian calves are trading anywhere from €30 to €120.