Solid trade in Kilkenny mart

Just over 1,000 head of cattle made their way through the ring at last Thursday’s general cattle sale in Kilkenny mart.

A large proportion of the cattle on Thursday’s sale sold to online purchasers with 27% of the animals in the sale being knocked down to online purchasers.

Factory agents were out in force despite the recent negative messages being pedaled by some processors.

Top call of the sale went to a May 2022-born Charolais bullock weighing 990kg and selling for €4,580 (€4.68/kg).

Next highest price went to another May 2022-born Limousin bullock weighing 910kg and selling for €4,340 (€4.77/kg).

The final animal to cross the €4,000 barrier was a May 2022- born Limousin bullock weighing 835kg and selling for €4020 (€4.81/kg). Heavy beef cattle over 600kg came close to €5/kg on a number of occasions with factory agents buying for next day kill in many cases.

Bullocks were a very solid trade in the sale with top quality bullocks weighing over 600kg selling for €4.64/kg up 15 cent/kg on the previous week.

Top quality bullocks in the 500-600kg weight bracket also met good demand with these bullocks coming in at €4.55/kg. Lighter bullocks in the 500-600kg weight bracket came in at a similar price of €5.54/kg.

Friesian bullocks in the 400-500kg weight bracket were coming in around €3-€3.40/kg. In the heifer ring, top quality heifers in the 500-600kg weight bracket came in at €4.63/kg.

Lighter heifers in the 400-500kg weight bracket were also up on the previous week coming in at €4.63/kg. A number of spring 2024-born Aberdeen Angus and Hereford heifers sold from €3.40/kg to €3.80/kg.

Grass buyers are still anxious for cattle with another expected flurry from the seven month grazing clients towards the end of April to have them in on the books before 1 May.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal Kilkenny mart auctioneer George Candler said: “We saw another big yard of cattle through Kilkenny mart last Thursday with good demand for all types of stock.

We had good numbers of factory fit cattle with some farmers choosing the mart route as opposed to the factory route given the demand that we seen ringside in the last few weeks.”

Kilkenny mart holds their sheep and dairy sales on Mondays, calves and cull cows are sold on Tuesdays while their general cattle sale takes place on Thursdays.