There are few things that an Irish farmer loves more than reminiscing about good things and good times.

I had a farmer tell me once about a famous collie bitch he had that would look up at him at the gate for the words ‘cattle’ or ‘sheep’ and bring only the species mentioned.

2025 was a bit like that; a great time for selling cattle combined with a summer that gave just enough rain to keep grass ticking along.

While numbers were tight, the mart sales were still seeing full yards of cattle coming into the back end.

2026 is a different animal. Those in the east and southeast are seeing a much higher cost on their system due to drought, while prices for all classes of stock have fallen.

I asked the farmer did he ever keep a pup from his bitch. After a few colourful words, he summed him up: “He wouldn’t hold a candle to the mother.”

2026 is a bit like the dud pup that 2025 had.

2025 v 2026 price

A surprising figure when we look at the MartBids analysis for this week and the same corresponding week last year is the reduction in numbers.

Some 12,923 cattle passed through MartBids marts this week, a fall of close to 28% on the same week in 2025.

Weanling numbers this week are relatively comparative to last year, but where we see the greatest fall-off in numbers is in mid-weight store heifers and bullocks weighing 400kg to 500kg.

The number of heifers of this weight bracket are down 38% year on year, while bullocks of the same weight are close to half in numbers, with a fall of 47% seen.

Taking a look at a price difference between these classes of stock, last year an average quality bullock of 470kg would net you €2,105.60 at €4.48/kg (before any commission or entry fees).

This week, the same bullock sits at €1,757.80 at €3.74/kg, a difference of €347.80, give or take the price of a tonne of beef nuts. It’s hard to fathom a fall in numbers and a fall in price in the one year.

One major grumbling from farmer buyers is the cost of weanlings in comparison to store cattle.

This week, we see average quality bulls weighing 300kg to 400kg coming in at €4.95/kg.

At 330kg, this puts this less than 12-month-old animal at €1,633.60, which is 140kg lighter than our store above, but just €94 in the difference between the two.

Is it a fair comparison? Probably not. There are a large percentage of dairy-beef stock in that store bullock category, while the bull weanlings are mainly continental types from suckler cows that are being swallowed up by exporters set to sail to Africa with them due to the demand for these quality calves.

Suckler farmers will rightly point to the store price needing to be higher, not their weanling price to be lower.

Cull cows are increasing in numbers slightly, likely due to increased scanning in the last number of weeks. Average cow price this week has slipped by 22c/kg to sit at €2.70/kg, while the top and bottom third of cows are trading at €3.40/kg (back 25c/kg) and €1.87/kg (back 14c/kg) respectively.