The cattle trade continues to perform well with no major changes this week. Numbers continue to increase in marts around the country, with a big ramp-up of activity expected over the next few weeks.
Weanling bulls saw a small bounce in price on the back of good exporter demand and farmer buying.
All eyes will be on next Monday’s marts to see if the planned boycott by exporters will happen.
At the moment, they remain adamant that they are staying out of marts all next week.
Some mart managers say that exporter activity has quietened in recent days and that the large proportion of weanlings in marts are being purchased by farmers.
It will be interesting to see if price is affected. Taking competition out of any market isn’t good and farmers have criticised exporters for the move, coming into some of the busiest weeks for weanling sales over the next few weeks.
In-calf heifer sales have kicked off around the country, with some big prices being paid for replacement stock.
A combination of low availability in numbers and a very strong cull cow trade is leaving suckler farmers in a strong position for buying in replacements.
The good weanling trade has also helped restore confidence in suckler circles, with some farmers for the first time in a long time talking about increasing numbers again.
Top-quality heifers are trading at €4,000 and above, with exceptional in-calf heifers crossing the €5/kg mark in a number of sales this week.
Taking a look at this week’s Martbids analysis table, it paints another fairly positive picture of the trade this week.
In the bullock rings, large factory feeders are in control of the trade, with demand increasing in the last week, especially for heavy store bullocks.
Top-quality bullocks in the 600kg-plus category came in at €4.67/kg this week, pretty much unchanged from last week.
Average-quality bullocks in the same weight bracket came in at €4.20/kg.
Lighter store bullocks in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket are also in demand, with lower-quality dairy-bred beef bullocks, along with Friesians, coming in at €3.80/kg, up 4c/kg on last week.
In the heifer rings, heavy heifers saw a reduction in price this week, with top-quality heavy heifers back 67c/kg to €4.67/kg.
Lighter heifers went in the opposite direction, with top-quality heifers in the 350kg to 400kg weight range up 18c/kg this week to €5.04/kg.
In the weanling bull rings, all weight and quality categories were up in price this week.
Light weaning bulls saw the biggest increase, with top-quality weanling bulls in the 200kg to 300kg weight bracket coming in at €6.70/kg.
Bulls in the popular 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.70/kg also and were a similar trade to last week.
Heifers weren’t as hot as bulls last week, with all weanling heifers back in price.
Top-quality weanling heifers in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.19/kg this week. Average heifers in the same weight bracket came in at €5.29/kg.
The cattle trade continues to perform well with no major changes this week. Numbers continue to increase in marts around the country, with a big ramp-up of activity expected over the next few weeks.
Weanling bulls saw a small bounce in price on the back of good exporter demand and farmer buying.
All eyes will be on next Monday’s marts to see if the planned boycott by exporters will happen.
At the moment, they remain adamant that they are staying out of marts all next week.
Some mart managers say that exporter activity has quietened in recent days and that the large proportion of weanlings in marts are being purchased by farmers.
It will be interesting to see if price is affected. Taking competition out of any market isn’t good and farmers have criticised exporters for the move, coming into some of the busiest weeks for weanling sales over the next few weeks.
In-calf heifer sales have kicked off around the country, with some big prices being paid for replacement stock.
A combination of low availability in numbers and a very strong cull cow trade is leaving suckler farmers in a strong position for buying in replacements.
The good weanling trade has also helped restore confidence in suckler circles, with some farmers for the first time in a long time talking about increasing numbers again.
Top-quality heifers are trading at €4,000 and above, with exceptional in-calf heifers crossing the €5/kg mark in a number of sales this week.
Taking a look at this week’s Martbids analysis table, it paints another fairly positive picture of the trade this week.
In the bullock rings, large factory feeders are in control of the trade, with demand increasing in the last week, especially for heavy store bullocks.
Top-quality bullocks in the 600kg-plus category came in at €4.67/kg this week, pretty much unchanged from last week.
Average-quality bullocks in the same weight bracket came in at €4.20/kg.
Lighter store bullocks in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket are also in demand, with lower-quality dairy-bred beef bullocks, along with Friesians, coming in at €3.80/kg, up 4c/kg on last week.
In the heifer rings, heavy heifers saw a reduction in price this week, with top-quality heavy heifers back 67c/kg to €4.67/kg.
Lighter heifers went in the opposite direction, with top-quality heifers in the 350kg to 400kg weight range up 18c/kg this week to €5.04/kg.
In the weanling bull rings, all weight and quality categories were up in price this week.
Light weaning bulls saw the biggest increase, with top-quality weanling bulls in the 200kg to 300kg weight bracket coming in at €6.70/kg.
Bulls in the popular 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.70/kg also and were a similar trade to last week.
Heifers weren’t as hot as bulls last week, with all weanling heifers back in price.
Top-quality weanling heifers in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.19/kg this week. Average heifers in the same weight bracket came in at €5.29/kg.
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