Camera at the Mart: strong trade for forward and heavy cattle in Tuam

Quality cattle were in demand in Tuam Mart on Monday for its general cattle sale, with both suckler-bred and dairy-beef stock with good weight for age keenly sought after by feedlot buyers and farmer finishers.

There was a broad spread in the range of quality, with quality cattle with good weight for age commanding a solid price, while poorer-quality lots with poor weight for age were penalised on price.

Mart manager Marian Devane noted: “Feedlot buyers and farmer finishers were in competition for quality store cattle from 500kg upwards.

“There was a fantastic show of some really high-quality store bullocks in particular, with these types crossing €4.30/kg with relative ease.

“While we did have some grass buyers, they appear to be more cautious in purchasing very light cattle that would find it hard to finish to good carcase yields.”

In the bullock ring, the majority of lots were of a higher weight of 500kg-plus, with the lighter bullocks on offer consisting mostly of 2025-born dairy-beef bullocks.

Approximately one quarter of the bullocks on offer on the day were Angus-crosses.

As mentioned, those with good weight for age commanded strong prices, with the top third of bullocks weighing 350kg to 400kg selling for €4.95/kg, up 8c/kg on the week prior, though the average price of this range was back 24c/kg on the week at €4.19/kg.

Bullocks weighing 400kg to 500kg were again mostly dairy-beef-bred, with some quality continentals also in the mix, with an average price of €3.94/kg being paid.

More forward lots weighing 500kg to 600kg sold to an average of €4.02/kg, with the majority of bullocks sitting in this weight bracket.

A show of heavier bullocks weighing 600kg-plus averaged €3.97/kg, with the top and bottom thirds averaging €4.38/kg and €3.51/kg respectively.

Heifers

In the heifer ring, trade was generally sharper than the week prior.

Heifers weighing 350kg to 400kg averaged €3.97/kg (up 15c/kg), with lots from 400kg to 500kg averaging €3.74/kg (back 18c/kg).

More forward store and breeding-type heifers weighing 500kg to 600kg averaged a strong €3.99/kg (up 16c/kg) with heavy heifers 600kg-plus averaging €4.10/kg (up 12c/kg).

In the cow ring, while numbers have been lower in recent weeks due to TB rule change confusion, prices were positive.

Friesian cows sold between €2.52/kg and €2.68/kg, with all suckler-bred cows bar one selling from €3.13/kg to a high of €3.90/kg for an eight-year-old Limousin-cross cow weighing 625kg.