While the level of price pressure witnessed in recent weeks has lessened somewhat, pressure remains on bull weanlings, slaughter-fit cattle and forward stores.

It is the fourth consecutive week that bulls have been under pressure, with red figures never a good sign in the price table.

As mentioned, price reductions over the last week have not been as severe as the previous three weeks and are averaging from 5c/kg to 10c/kg.

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There are greater reductions for lighter bulls weighing from 200kg to 300kg, but this is also a feature of small numbers in this category and prices fluctuating to a greater degree.

A lively export trade all spring had insulated weanling bulls from a significant degree of price pressure, along with buying for summer grazing systems.

However, a number of export buyers have reduced purchasing activity and shippers are waiting on boats to set sail before restocking.

In previous weeks, it was the top-end bulls that saw the biggest drop. However, this week, it’s the bottom third of weanlings across all weight categories.

Bulls weighing over 450kg saw the biggest drop, with another 23c/kg taken off, leaving them selling at €3.40/kg.

The real stand-out was that the top third of bulls weighing over 450kg saw a welcome price increase of 8c/kg, leaving them selling at an average of €4.50/kg.

Hopefully this is a sign of some stability entering the trade as we head into the summer months and start of special autumn-born weanling sales.

Again, the top third of weanlings weighing 400kg to 450kg saw a price increase, albeit small at 3c/kg – this left these selling at €5.36/kg.

Weanling heifers

Weanling heifers saw a better week’s selling compared with bulls, with only minor drops seen in a handful of weight categories.

The most significant change was heifers weighing 400kg to 450kg dropping 13c/kg.

Some of the positives seen in this week’s trade for weanling heifers was in the lighter weight categories.

With the sudden burst in grass growth in the last 10 days, it is said to be having a positive effect on the trade, with grass buyers, many of which were slower to buy all spring, now purchasing more stock in line with better grass supplies.

Heifers weighing from 300kg to 400kg saw the best demand this week, with the top third selling for €5.53/kg, following an increase of 28c/kg on last week.

Lighter heifers weighing from 200kg up to 300kg saw a smaller lift in trade, but there are fewer of these types of weanlings offered for sale over the summer months.

An increase of 3c/kg to 8c/kg was recorded on the MartBids data base for such types.

Bullock and heifers

Some stability has entered into the bullock and heifer market this week for store cattle.

Heifers weighing from 400kg to 500kg firmed by 3c/kg to 7c/kg, with the average heifer selling for €3.78/kg and the top third at €4.44/kg.

It was a similar case for bullocks weighing 400kg to 500kg, with prices up on average by 4c/kg to 7c/kg and trending slightly ahead of heifers.