Normal service has resumed in marts around the country, with all exporters back ringside and online since Monday morning.

The majority of Ireland’s largest exporters had taken the decision to halt buying activity the previous week on the back of concerns over the health of weanlings being presented for sale.

Some marts reported the price going up within those seven days on the back of increased farmer buying, but this week’s Irish Farmers Journal Martbids analysis table shows that there was a slight decrease in the weanling bull trade over the last week.

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Many might have thought the exporter boycott would have affected trade more, but there was a notable increase in farmers buying weanlings in some marts last week, which would have helped prop up the trade and take the place of exporter buyers in a lot of cases.

One mart manager told me that top-quality bull weanlings were up €100/head in his mart, saying: “Maybe if the exporters stayed away an odd week, they’d let the men with the money to bid on strong on the good calves.”

Numbers coming out to marts remain very steady. There was a thought that, with such a good trade all summer, October sales would be a lot smaller than usual, but that hasn’t really happened.

Route

Smaller finishers continue to choose the mart route to sell, with many better off to the tune of €100 to €200/head by opting for the mart sale route.

Another welcome addition ringside this week has been factory agents and they have added some life to the trade, particularly for heavy heifers.

Factory agents are scrambling for cattle and have been left with no choice but to edge their way back in ringside to fill lairages.

Dry cows in particular took a big lift this week in marts, which has happened due to a big shortage of manufacturing beef in beef markets.

Top-quality cows were up €100/head this week in some marts, with good-quality heavy cows back up over €4/kg.

Good-quality store cows are selling for between €3.50/kg and €4/kg, while parlour cows are selling from €2.20/kg to €2.80/kg depending on age, weight and quality.

This week’s Martbids analysis table shows a mixed bag in terms of the cattle trade. Lighter store bullocks met good demand, with the best-quality bullocks in the 350kg to 400kg weight bracket coming in at €5.31/kg.

Heavy bullocks in the same bracket were back a touch to €4.67/kg.

Heifers

The heifer trade saw increases across the board last week, with top-quality heavy heifers coming in 21c/kg ahead of last week at €4.98/kg.

Lighter heifers also met good farmer demand, with top-quality heifers in the 350kg to 400kg weight bracket coming in 30c/kg better than the previous week at €5.14/kg.

All eyes were on the weanling bull trade and it did take a hit, especially for the heavier bulls in the 400kg to 450kg weight bracket.

Average bulls in this same weight bracket were 19c/kg lower than the previous week at €5.25/kg.

Top-quality bulls in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket were solid at €6.48/kg, with average-quality bulls in the same weight bracket coming in at €5.62/kg, back just 3c/kg on the previous week.