Camera at the Mart: average of €7.95/kg in Kilfenora weanling sale

The wind blew, the sun shone, the rain poured down and the bids flew on at Kilfenora Mart for the Co Clare mart’s annual weanling bull show and sale on Monday last.

Just over 400 of the best weanling bulls the Burren had to offer were for sale and they didn’t disappoint, with prices of between €5.50/kg and €8/kg available and some of the spring-born weanlings made close to and over €3,000.

That wasn’t just hearsay either, Martbids data showed that of the 130 or so weanlings weighing from 200kg to 300kg, the top third averaged €7.95/kg, while the bottom third made €6.17/kg.

There were 200 bulls weighing from 300kg to 400kg and the top third of these sold for an average of €7.16/kg.

Strong demand

Demand was strong, with both farmers and exporters active at the ringside and online.

Speaking afterwards, manager Martin McNamara said: “The 280kg to 320kg weanling is very dear - there’s a lot of customers for them. There are farmers buying them more, the Charolais calf especially.

“For the Limousin calf, there’s not as many farmers, but the exporters will go for them, but they have to be a sweet calf. Them nice calves are making €6.50/kg to €7/kg.

“There’s a lot of calves at 300kg making in or around the €7/kg. I saw one farmer, he had eight calves and they averaged €6.97/kg.

Settled trade

“You’d have to say they’re no dearer than any day this year and trade has settled down over the last two weeks. You’d see an odd extreme price, but, in general, the trade has leveled out.

“It got a lift in weanlings since the start of August. The average price for all cattle from 1 July till last week was 70% higher than the year before.”

Numbers in the north Clare mart were similar to last year. This year’s good prices may stem the fall-off in suckler numbers in the county, according to McNamara.

“We’re maybe back 5%, but, in general, might have gone earlier and with the suckler herd gone, that would be good. There was more of a drop in the suckler herd in the last two years than the previous 10 in Co Clare.

“This might steady it but organics will limit some people who might want to keep an extra few cows now.

“I was talking to a farmer who sold 13 weanlings in August and came away with a cheque for about €31,000. Now he’s thinking about keeping an extra three or four cows which would be the most his land could take because he’s getting paid for it now.”