Martbids Database: strong start to 2025 mart trade

January is always a quiet month in marts. Most marts got going again this week, but numbers remain small in many, with farmers generally slow to move stock in January and February, with many waiting for the grass buyers to surface in March before selling any big numbers.

Bad weather last week forced some cancellations, so there was some bigger marts this week in the south on the back of that.

While numbers have started out small, the trade has started very strong, with serious demand for forward store cattle.

Factory agents and big feeders have been out in force hoovering up anything close to slaughter.

Roscrea Mart in Co Tipperary had two very big special sales in the last week, one for heifers and one for dry cows.

Both sales saw strong demand and some exceptional prices being paid by factories for slaughter-fit cattle.

Mart manager Michael Harty described the trade as electric, with demand outstripping supply at both sales such was the demand for stock.

One-hundred heifers in the Roscrea sale last Saturday sold for over €2,500.

In other years, some of these heavier forward stores would be going in for feeding for 60 to 90 days, but such is the demand for beef at the moment that many of these lighter cattle are being slaughtered the next day after purchase.

Lower numbers of weanlings being presented for sale and huge demand from exporters has also pushed the weanling trade to higher prices than before Christmas.

Dairy-cross Aberdeen Angus bullocks and heifers weighing between 250kg and 300kg have regularly been hitting €3/kg and over it.

There is some thought in the south that this will push on even more once the grass buyers come out and start competing with the live exporters.

NI trade

The mart trade in Northern Ireland has also seen a very strong start, with NI feeders also very anxious for cattle.

Clogher Mart in Co Tyrone held its second cattle sale of the year last Saturday. The weather outside was cold and frosty, but the trade inside was hot and fiery.

Numbers didn’t disappoint, with almost 1,000 cattle traded through the Clogher rings.

Dry cows met a big demand, with cows in the 700kg to 900kg weight bracket selling for €3.60/kg and over it.

Forward store cattle and fat cattle were also a very solid trade, with factory agents out in force.

Finished cattle are in short supply in NI and this is also pushing some customers south, with a lot of enquiries already ahead of special spring sales coming up in February.

Taking a look at this week’s Martbids analysis table, we see that the top-quality heavy weanling bull in the 400kg to 450kg weight band has once again broken the €4/kg barrier, coming in at €4.04/kg this week. That’s an average of €1,818 for a 450kg weanling.

Weanling heifers also met very good demand, with the top-quality 300kg to 400kg animal coming in at €3.67/kg this week.

Heavy bullocks and heifers were the best trade of all, with average heifers in the 600kg-plus weight bracket coming in at €3.24/kg this week.

Average heifers in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket came in at €3.13/kg. Top-quality dry cows came in at a massive €3.33/kg this week, with average cows coming in at €2.60/kg.