Camera at the Mart: full clearance of Michael Roche's in-calf heifers in Carnew

Carnew Mart hosted a special entry of 23 in-calf heifers from Michael Roche on Saturday.

The heifers were mostly sired by Limousin bulls. They were all in-calf to easy-calving Limousin bulls and due to calf from January 2027 onwards.

“We had a super sale of breeding stock here on Saturday,” said mart manager David Quinn, explaining that the mart saw a 100% clearance rate across its general suckler sale and Michael's 23 heifers.

“In total, Michael's heifers averaged just shy of the €4,000 mark, with trade varying from €3,300 for lighter and plainer heifers, with heavier heifers showing some nice quality crossing the €4,000 mark on multiple occasions.

"The bulk of heifers sold from €3,800 to €4,000, with the top heifer selling for €4,550.

“We’re seeing a continued confidence since last year from suckler farmers to invest in breeding stock. Most buyers are only buying two to three heifers, some will be increasing slightly, with most picking up a few heifers to replace cull cows.

“This boost has been on the back of a strong weanling trade the last two years and we need that to maintain to keep suckler farmers.”