Farmers were very active at the weanling sale in Macroom Mart on Thursday evening last.
There were over 200 on offer, with a good mix of bucket-fed and suckler weanlings available.
Regardless of breed and background, the majority sold for between €4/kg and €5/kg, with a number of choice lots exceeding this price range.
While they were still present, mart manager Jerh O’Sullivan said that shippers weren’t as active as they have been in recent months.
“Shippers are still paying over €5.20/kg and that €5/kg is available all the time and farmers are giving that too for the good coloured weanling around 350kg.
“Maybe things aren’t as lively as they were a fortnight ago for the coloured ones, but there was only a handful went home.
“Trade was steady and it was a similar trade on Saturday when there were 150 weanlings on offer in the general sale.”
The addition of an evening weanling sale in Macrrom has made for a smoother running of Saturday sales in the mid-Cork mart.
“We’ve had a nice steady flow of cattle coming out without being over-supplied. We’d be shy of 1,200 the last while.
“There was a big lift in the numbers in the last three weeks and there’s probably another fortnight of bigger sales and we’d be expecting the main run of cattle to be gone out of it by then.
“Weather has kept them on the land so far. There’s nobody panicking to get them off and the lads buying them are getting a chance to get them in and get them settled. They’re all buying what they can handle. It’s the perfect scenario.
“There’s a lot more heavier cattle coming through the rings now. Heavier Friesian are making around €3.30/kg if they’re over 700kg and Angus-crosses are making €3.40/kg to €3.50/kg for similar weights, with a bit more for the best of them and continentals are pushing €4/kg.
Positive for sucklers.
He also reported an increase in sales of in-calf sucklers this autumn with special entries on Saturday last.
“We had a number of four- and five-star genotyped heifers and they ranged from €3,500 to €3,800.
“It’s lovely to hear people asking when is the suckler sale starting. I’m manager here five years and for the first two years, it was suckler clearance sales and now we’re organising suckler breeding sales.”
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