While marts have lit up this year with massive increases in prices for beef cattle, a similar movement has occurred with dairy stock, albeit slightly more under the radar.

A shortage of replacements given the increased uptake of sexed semen and heightened demand due to further TB-related depopulations are cited by mart managers as two of the main drivers for the increase.

These factors, combined with higher cull cow values, have seen mart managers in the south reporting prices of between €900 to €1,490 for Friesian heifer calves as demand cranks up.

Less than 12 months ago, maiden and, in some cases, in-calf heifers were trading for that kind of money. As a result, there are reports of farmers looking to the cull cow ring as an option to pick up young cows still in milk.

Bandon Mart manager Seán Dennehy said dairy stock are scarce: “We had an awful lot of people looking for stock all summer and TB was the driver for that.

“We had a special entry of spring 2025-born Friesian heifer calves recently and there was great interest in them. The first lot made €1,170 and I think some people held back bidding after that as a rake of people went away with nothing that day.”

It’s a similar in story in Kerry.

“There’s a want for dairy stock at the moment,” said Gortatlea Mart manager Maurice Brosnan. “The biggest crowd around the ring recently was for dairy heifer runners from 180kg to 220kg and they made from €1,250 to €1,490.

“I can see maiden heifers go to €1,500 to €2,000 and calved cows hit €2,500 to €3,000. The strong price of cull cows means farmers have more power to buy the good dairy replacements now.”

Tipperary Town Mart’s Mark Donovan has similar sentiments: “We had a few freshly calved heifers sell recently and they made from €2,400 to €2,780. Yearling Friesian heifers aren’t fit to make much more than Friesian heifer runners.

“There’s a real good demand. There are a lot of farmers who were locked up with TB until recently and they are looking out for replacements. I think good dairy stock are going to be scarce and sexed semen is part of the reason for that. We have a few clearance sales booked in for the spring but there’s not going to be a huge exodus.”

David Clarke of cows.ie also sees that the scarcity of Friesian heifer calves is going to impact trade well into 2026.

“Looking at the numbers, dairy heifer calves seem to be way down and the figures show less births.

“We know next year we won’t be able to get our hands on as many bulling heifers compared to other times. We’re seeing good demand for dairy stock now both at home and from abroad.

“Prices for quality in-milk cows and heifers are from €2,500 to €3,500. The biggest driver for that, in Ireland especially, is due to TB depopulations. There’s excellent demand for calved cows and for decent stock you’re talking €2,000 and pushing on from that. Beef prices are also underpinning dairy cattle prices at the moment with some good breeding heifers, unfortunately, finding their way to the meat factories.”

In Carnew Mart, manager David Quinn said that TB has been a big factor and farmers who are below their production threshold because of it are looking for stock now.

“A few weeks ago we sold Friesian heifers that were a few months in-calf for €1,500 to €1,800. Other years we’ve got €1,000 or struggled to get a customer. Dairy stock have been a great trade since spring but I could see it move on up a notch in the new year.”

Comment: compensation payments insufficient

With the sharp increase in prices for dairy stock, many farmers affected by TB are finding that the compensation payments received for reactor cows are now insufficient to replace those animals.

This is particularly true for herds that were depopulated earlier this year.

These farms cannot buy in any stock for a minimum of four months after being depopulated and in the meantime, prices have shot up.

The maximum price that can be paid for non-pedigree stock is €3,000/head and many farmers are hitting that limit for their TB reactors.