Camera at the Mart: superb store sale in Delvin

After a slight dip in prices the week before, trade picked up this past week in Delvin Mart on Thursday last for the Westmeath mart’s weekly cattle sale.

Across bullocks and heifers, heavier cattle saw their price recover a little, while a slightly better improvement was seen for store cattle.

Plainer types are sitting around €3.80/kg to €4/kg, while most suckler-bred stock sold for €3.95/kg to €4.10/kg

Those weighing around 400kg, regardless of breed, were mostly selling for between €1,600 and €1,850. Moving up into 500kg and over, most beef-crosses were comfortably passing €2,000.

Resurgence

According to manager Elliott Potterton, while the talk of factories pulling prices and the sudden change in quotes from them the previous week may have upset the early September trade, that concern had eased by the time last week’s sale rolled around.

“If anything, the store may have got a bit of resurgence on the back of it, certainly in Delvin.

“Farmers are optimistic by nature and that showed this week. Just comparing the averages with last week, bullocks under 500kg were up from €4.09/kg to €4.13/kg.

“Heavier ones from 500kg to 550kg were up from €4.07/kg last week to €4.18/kg, while 550kg to 600kg bullocks went from €3.92/kg to €4.10/kg and 600kg to 650kg were up 12c/kg as well.

“I think the price cut didn’t come as severe and there was a bit more bark than bite in the first week of September. As a result, when the grass men were out buying, they were a bit more confident this week rather than the week before.

“It’s been some year for beef cattle. The big one for me is that 400kg to 500kg heifer, they were averaging €4.01/kg this week and when I looked back at September 2024, the same heifer was making €2.41/kg. That’s up €1.60/kg in a year.

Changes

“I’m noticing a few changing systems this year and maybe feeding cattle in the shed rather than hold them at grass.

“Between grass-based and winter finishers, there seems to be more feeding on cattle at the moment. That could mean a lot of dear cattle, but farmers are prepared to take the risk when you see the prices for lighter cattle.

“They’re more confident buying that store now at those prices rather than giving over €1,000 for a 250kg weanling. It’ll be longer before they get money back on those.”

While stores improved, he maintained that cow price got a bit more of a battering.

“Friesian cows were making €3.40/kg to €3.50/kg. That’s back a bit but we’re heading into scanning season so I’ll expect a few more to come out but cows have always been consistent in our sales.”