The latest mart throughput figures published by the Department of Agriculture confirm just how busy sales were during the month of March with over 52,000 more cattle sold.

An analysis of throughput data shows 290,076 bovines changing hands equating to an increase of 52,328 head when compared to March 2024.

The 22% jump in sales figures has been underpinned by prices surging upwards during the same period. The insatiable appetite for beef cattle and intense competition between factory agents encouraged more farmers to opt to let agents fight it out ringside rather than sell direct.

Mart managers also report that the sharp upward momentum in price and favourable weather also led to farmers presenting store cattle for grass-based systems earlier than normal. This could leave throughput in quarter two falling below the norm for the time of year.

Furthermore the strong appetite demonstrated by live exports for weanlings and calves made the mart trade a more attractive proposition. The vibrant trade is also evident in the number of cattle returning home unsold reducing by 3,926 head to 5,121.

There was nearly as many cattle moved farm-to-farm than through marts with 274,993 movements. This is almost 25,000 head higher than in 2024 and also reflects the earlier sales pattern in 2025.

Regional differences

As detailed in figure 2, marts in Munster dominated sales and at 158,819 head accounted for 55% of all cattle traded during March. This equates to an increase of 21% on 12 months previous. Throughput was driven by the high concentration of stock in this area and boosted by sales of dairy stock including cull cows and calves.

Marts in Leinster recorded a 29% year-on-year increase (sold 46,683 head) while marts in Connacht sold 37,931 bovines, up 23%. The least change was in marts in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan with throughput up 10% to 22,087 head.

Total mart throughput for the year to-date is running at 564,139 head with 10,366 cattle unsold. This compares to sales of 493,806 head for the first quarter of 2024 and 20,133 animals unsold. The higher sales entries and increased value of stock has made the first quarter of 2025 a lucrative trading period for marts with revenue collected through commission on sales increasing substantially.