Last Monday’s evening sale saw 176 lots presented at Armoy Mart with 100% clearance rate achieved.

There were bids flying in from plenty of buyers, with auctioneer Daniel McAlister remarking after the sale on the fierce competition for lighter stock, especially animals between six and 12 months, and weighing 200kg to 400kg.

An example were four Friesian bulls at eight months old, which made £930 each. In practice, it looks like buyers are trying to keep numbers in the system, while reducing their risk and not wanting to tie up a lot more capital.

The top-priced bullock on the day was a Hereford at £2,520, 345p/kg, while in p/kg it was a 270kg Charolais which made 503p/kg, £1,360.

Top-priced heifer was a 630kg Charolais at £2,240, 355p/kg, with a 320kg Simmental making 462p/kg, £1,480.

The majority of animals on offer were dairy-bred, with suckler-bred stock tending to come through the ring at the back-end of the year.

Daniel McAlister also commented that suckler numbers have been reducing in the area, like most other parts of the country, however, the quality of suckler stock when presented, continued to be up there with the best.

Dairy-bred Aberdeen Angus and Belgian Blue males, weighing between 500kg and 600kg, traded between 347p/kg and 381p/kg.

Friesian and Montbéliarde-bred lots, weighing 490kg to 520kg, generally made between 327p and 347p/kg.

Females in the 400kg to 600kg bracket sold around 346p to 372p/kg.