Over 360 heifers were put forward for Central Auctions Roscrea’s annual fatstock sale on Friday 8 January.
No show was able to take place because of COVID-19 restrictions, with the sale taking place online via the MartBids platform.
Boosted by a strengthening beef price this week and tightening availability of factory-fit stock, there was an excellent trade with a clearance rate of over 98%.
Heifers over 600kg averaged €2.46/kg, with the top third achieving an impressive €2.86/kg.
Top prices
The top price per kilo of €3.79/kg was paid for a 22-month-old Belgian Blue weighing 775kg (€2940).
The overall top price paid was for a March 2018-born Belgian Blue heifer weighing 1,000kg, with the hammer falling at €3,010 (€3.01/kg).
In the 500kg to 600kg weight band, the average price paid was €2.25/kg, with a top price/kg of €3.60/kg paid for a stylish 555kg March 2019-born Limousin with breeding potential (€2,000).
A smaller entry of heifers from 400kg to 500kg averaged €2.19/kg, with the top third making €2.49/kg.
To manage cattle numbers, the sale was split over two days, with cows being sold on Saturday 9 January from 10:30am.