Ploughing week has arrived, with a generally positive atmosphere among farmers in attendance. Last year, we were coming off the back of a record price for all types of cattle, with prices continuing to rise thereafter.

This year, while it is a more subdued affair, prices for stock are still strong, though the weakened beef price in comparison to store prices last year are still a sore point among beef finishers.

Talking to mart managers, these finishers are still around the ringside, but their buying power had been downgraded.

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Many cattle slaughtered in recent months will have left them in the red rather than the black and a scaling back of numbers or quality could well be on the cards for these.

Lighter store heifers have taken a respectable lift this week, with 9c to 10c/kg of an average lift on lots weighing below 500kg, even with stronger numbers coming out to marts over the last week.

Forward and finished types have been more subdued, with top-end heifers weighing 600kg-plus taking a 15c/kg hit.

The steer table is a sea of green arrows this week, with lighter stores up 9c to 14c/kg, with the bottom third of steers quality-wise rising 18c/kg.

More forward stores and finished types are 10c to 14c/kg higher, with 500kg to 600kg stores trading 17c/kg above their heifer counterparts.

Weanlings

The weanling trade has ramped up as well this week, with more special sales and shows occurring in marts across the country, with early spring-born calves beginning to hit marts.

Tommy Moyles’ report from Kilfenora Mart’s bull sale shows a change in the tide, with 90% of weanlings going to farmer buyers as opposed to the common trend of exporters dominating sales over the last few weeks.

The north Clare area is known for its Limousin- and Charolais-bred cattle, with these breeds dominating in numbers. Indeed, Limousin cattle have been the talking point of late, with AI companies noting the exceptional demand for Limousin sires, while they are the flavour of the month for exporters going to the north African market.

Lighter bulls weighing 200kg to 300kg jumped 39c/kg to sit above €5/kg for the first time in a while.

Close to half the bull weanlings passing through MartBids marts are tipping the scales at 300kg to 400kg, with these types lifting 7c/kg to put them at an average of €5.10/kg, with the bottom and top third of bulls of this weight at €4.25/kg and €5.93/kg respectively.

Bulls weighing 400kg to 450kg have dropped down in price to put a greater differential between them and the 300kg to 400kg bulls, with these types averaging €4.80/kg, back 16c/kg on last week.

Heavy bulls over the 450kg mark are close behind at €4.68/kg.

Heifers are a hugely positive trade after some variable weeks, with averages up by as high as 29c/kg in lots weighing from 400kg to 450kg, though numbers of weanling heifers, especially these heavier types, remain relatively low.

Average-quality cows are trading at €2.95/kg, up 10c/kg on the week, while the top third are up 8c/kg to leave them trading at €3.55/kg.