Rathfriland mart held their final sale of 2023 on Friday 15 December, where their new ring was in operation.

Cattle remained a solid trade with good demand for all types of stock according to Rathfriland mart’s Kenny Dodds.

Bullocks were the highlight of the trade, with a well fleshed Hereford bullock topping out at £1,600 (€1,839).

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Store bullocks were also in demand with farmer feeders anxious for forward store bullocks for feeding.

Heavy heifers were also in demand, with a Charoalis heifer weighing 586kg selling for £1,280 (€1,471). Commenting on the trade Kenny Dodds said; “We were especially pleased with the suck calf trade with Limousin calves hitting £550 (€632)”

The weanling trade was also solid, topping out at £2.74/kg for a Limousin bull weanling. Heifer weanlings topped out at £2.71/kg.

£1 Million Extension

A new state of the art extension was opened on Friday 15 of December at Rathfriland Farmer’s co-op.

The mart extension has been several years in the planning and has been eagerly awaited by the farming community and was delayed by 3 years due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The building, costing in the region of £1 million, was paid for entirely from profit after taxation from mart sales with no grants or overdrafts required.

The new building means the mart will be able to accommodate twice the current cattle numbers. Both rings will be operating at the same time, which will help keep the day of sale moving quickly.

The new mart area will accommodate the sale of dropped calves and young weanlings, while the current ring will exhibit the rest of the stock. The two rings will operate each Friday from 11am sharp.

The day-by-day management of the mart will remain the same, with all stock being paid for on the day of sale, so when the hammer falls the cheques are printed.

A Christmas Carol Service was held in the new building on Friday 8 December, which was conducted by the Rural Chaplin Rev Kenny Hanna.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal on the new build, Rathfriland mart’s Kenny Dodds said, “ We are really delighted with how the building turned out and it will mean we will be able to streamline things a lot quicker on sale days.

“Our cattle and sheep numbers have outgrown our present facilities, so we had to look at expanding to make things easier for buyers and sellers on sale days”