Monday’s weekly sale of calves in Kilmallock Mart was once again met with a vigorous trade, with plenty of buyers at the ringside and online.
There were plenty of strong calves on display, with great demand for Aberdeen Angus- and Hereford-bred calves, with continental-bred calves in limited supply.
With a number of exporters active around the ring, farmer buyers made their presence known.
With everyone hungry for quality, the sale was met with a 97% clearance rate, with a joint-top call of €380 for two one-month-old Limousin-cross bull calves.
Influence
As is expected in Kilmallock, there was a massive influence of Angus and Hereford breeding, with the Aberdeen Angus calves selling particularly well, with 10- to 15-day-old calves starting at €40 and stronger one-month-old calves fetching up to €380.
Hereford calves were also met with great demand, with lighter calves selling from €80 each up to €345 for the stronger fed calves.
Good mix
There was a good mix in both the quality and the prices of the Friesian calves, with Friesian bull calves selling for between €50 and €195.
The sale saw a small entry of Friesian heifer calves not suitable for breeding and they generally sold between €5 and €40.
Continental calves dominated the trade, despite only a small cohort being brought forward for sale. Limousin-cross calves sold very well, with bull calves selling from €175 for lighter dairy-bred calves up to the highest sale price of €380. The Limousin heifer calves weren’t far behind, generally selling from €260 to €350.
Small numbers of Charolais calves were well sought after by farmer buyers around the ring, which saw Charolais females sell between €170 and €335 and bull calves sell up to highs of €305.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, assistant mart manager Shane Egan said: “We had another great week of calf sales here in Kilmallock.
“Numbers are increasing nicely and there is huge demand for the stronger calves this spring. We are seeing a lot of demand for the Hereford- and Angus-bred calves, which is no surprise and it’s great to see so many buyers at the ringside.”
