Camera at the Mart: top of €6,400 at Gortatlea weanling heifer sale

Despite suckler cow numbers dropping again this year, there have been some big weanling sales right across the country in the last two weeks.

Gortatlea Mart had a big show of heifer calves last Wednesday night, with some exceptional-quality lots included in the sale.

Top call on the night went to a September 2024-born Limousin heifer weighing 435kg, which sold for €6,400 and was purchased for showing in 2026.

The overall champion in the pre-sale show was a November 2024-born Belgian Blue heifer weighing 505kg and selling for €5,600.

The overall reserve champion was a January-born Limousin heifer weighing 475kg and selling for €5,000.

Several of the prizewinning heifers made over €4,000 on the night, with a lot of them purchased for breeding.

General run

The general run of good-quality heifer weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6/kg and over it, with lighter weanlings coming closer to €7/kg.

Farmers dominated much of the trade, with exporters continuing to concentrate on bull weanlings.

Along with the top-quality suckler heifers, there was a large number of runner calves and these also met a very good trade.

Up to €7/kg was paid for dairy-cross calves in the 100kg to 200kg weight bracket. Some farmers are looking at weanlings being too expensive and are tracking back to these calves being able to buy more cattle for the same budget.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at the sale, mart manager Maurice Brosnan said: “We had a super yard of weanlings. Numbers might be dropping, but the quality is definitely getting better.

“Farmers are getting interested again in breeding top-quality cattle and that’s great to see.

Suckler farmers know how to breed good cattle and let them at it

“Something will have to be done about the numbers though. Demand is outstripping supply at the moment and it’s a lost opportunity that we haven’t more weanlings at the moment.

“I honestly think we’ll have to look at some sort of a first-calved heifer payment going forward to encourage farmers to stick with suckling.

“We need the young people back looking at suckling as an option again. We are seeing a lot of farmers in the market now for heifer calves for replacements and that’s great to see, but they need encouragement and we need to let them know that they will be supported.

“A calved heifer payment would go a long way to doing this. I’m not talking about anything connecting to stars.

“Suckler farmers know how to breed good cattle and let them at it.”