This week’s main Camera at the Mart was from Friday’s general cattle sale at Rathfriland Mart. Mart manager Jim McCrum said that they had a good show of 400 cattle and prices are benefitting from the rise in beef price.

This Charolais cross heifer, born xxxx and weighing 576kg, sold for £1,085 or £1.88/kg (€1,262 or €1.84/kg).

He added that finishers and agents were competing strongly for all types, with forward stores and heavy fleshed cows a great trade.

The highlight of the sale was the strong weanling trade. There were 138 weanlings on offer and all good-quality lots were met with strong buyer demand.

This Limousin heifer, born xxxxx and weighing 500kg, sold for £900 or £1.80/kg (€1,047 or €2.09/kg).

At the top of the market, a feeding bull weighing 504kg sold for £1,010 (€1,174) or £2.00/kg (€2.33/kg). Light bulls were a strong trade, selling for up to £2.68/kg (€3.12/kg) for a top-quality 224kg Limousin heifer which sold for £600 (€697). Other top-quality calves under 300kg sold for up to £2.53/kg (€2.94/kg).

This Limousin heifer, born xxxxx and weighing 500kg, sold for £900 or £1.80/kg (€1,047 or €2.09/kg).

A Ballyward farmer received prices of between £690 (€802) and £830 (€965) per head for good-quality weanlings from 300kg to 400kg.

This Limousin cross cull cow, born xxxx and weighing 450kg, sold for £855 or £1.90/kg (€994 or €2.21/kg).

Heavier weanling bulls over 400kg sold mainly from £830 (€965) to £1,010 (€1,174/head for good continental types.

There was a good entry of dropped calves once again and prices topped out at £635 (€738) for a young Charolais, with top-quality Angus bulls selling to £490 (€570).

Top-quality reared Hereford calves sold to a top price of £470 (€546). At the lower end of the market, prices of £250 to £260/head (€290 to €300/head) were received for younger calves.

This Limousin cross cull cow, born xxxx and weighing 450kg, sold for £855 or £1.90/kg (€994 or €2.21/kg).

Heifers were a strong trade also, with the lift in beef prices adding a little more bite to the sale. Heavy heifers over 500kg sold from £1,000 (€1,160) to £1,085 (€1,261) per head for a top-quality 576kg heifer.

Good-quality lighter continental heifers from 400kg to 500kg sold mainly from £800 to £900/head (€930 to €1,046/head).

This Limousin cross bullock, born xxxx and weighing 462kg, sold for £770 or £1.67/kg (€895 or €1.94/kg).

Cows with good levels of flesh were quite a strong trade, with prices up on the previous week.

At the top of the market, prices topped out at £935 (€1,087) for a 726kg cull cow. Heavy cows over 700kg sold mainly from £845 (€980) or £1.16/kg (€1.35/kg) to £920 (€1,069) or £1.26/kg (€1.46/kg). Lighter cows from 500kg to 600kg sold from £630/head (€732/head) to £875/head (€1,017/head.

This Charolais cross heifer, born xxxx and weighing 474kg, sold for £905 or £1.91/kg (€1,052 or €2.22/kg).

This Limoiusin heifer, born xxxxx and weighing 402kg, sold for £770 or £1.92/kg (€895 or €2.23/kg).

This Limousin cross bull, born xxxx and weighing 342kg, sold for £650 or £1.90/kg (€756 or €2.21/kg).