Last week’s summations by mart managers of an increased demand from agents for finished and store type cattle for feedlots appears to have rung true this week, with a small but positive increase in steer and heifer trade recorded in MartBids data.

Heifers took a major tumble in last week’s analysis, but have thankfully recovered for farmers looking to move heifers off farm.

Average-quality heavy heifers above 600kg bounced back by 19c/kg after falling by 7c/kg last week.

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For a 620kg heifer, this is a price increase of €117.80/head, with finishers needing every penny of this after strong store prices last back end. Heifers from 500kg to 600kg also saw a marked increase of 9c/kg.

Lighter heifers have held well, despite recent rainfall and a delayed turnout, likely bolstered by farmers seeking to purchase cattle to meet stocking rates, though sellers will gladly take whatever increases are available.

Heavy steers have also recovered after a slip in price last week, leaving them on par with prices from two weeks earlier.

Heavy steers above 600kg are still below the €4/kg barrier for average-quality lots, but are still a better option for many finishers than direct selling to factories, while steers from 500kg to 600kg increased marginally to €3.95/kg.

Lighter bullocks have not fared as well as their female counterparts, with the bottom third of bullocks weighing 400kg to 500kg falling by 10c/kg this week, while same-quality steers between 300kg and 400kg are back 5c/kg.

This weight band consists primarily of spring 2025-born dairybeef calves, putting a typical 320kg Angus- or Hereford-cross bullock at €1,129.60.

Weanlings

The weanling trade is slightly more subdued, though mart managers which see regular exporter activity are seeing strong prices still being paid for high-end stock, while farmer buyers are prevalent for lighter grazing-type lots.

Weanling bulls for the most part have held firm, with the only real decrease seen in heavy lots weighing 400kg to 450kg, which fell by 13c/kg.

Bulls from 300kg to 400kg are sitting firmly at €5/kg, which is 58c/kg higher than for the same week last year, while lighter bulls weighing 200kg to 300kg jumped by 9c/kg this week, trading at €5.02/kg for average-quality lots, with close to €1/kg difference above and below this price based off quality.

Heifer weanlings from 200kg to 300kg fell by 12c/kg, but, again, are trading at 51c/kg higher than for the same week last year, while no change has been recorded in mid-weight heifers. The bottom third of heifers quality-wise has dropped across all weight bands in the heifer ring, with slippages of 8c to 19c/kg recorded.

Cows

The average cull cow price has dropped by 10c/kg, pulling it back from the €3/kg mark that it has floated around for a large number of weeks.

The bottom third of cows are back 11c/kg to €2.35/kg, while the top third are back significantly by 35c/kg to an average price of €3.57/kg, with very few of these top continental cows crossing the €4/kg barrier.