The latest mart throughput figures published by the Department of Agriculture show 53,226 more cattle traded in marts in the first nine months of the year.
Mart throughput of 1.459 million head is only running 16,301 head or 1.2% higher.
However, the number of cattle presented in sales and returning home unsold has more than halved reducing from 69,643 head in the corresponding period in 2024 to just 32,718 head in 2025.
This is one of the lowest figures for the number of animals unsold and is reflective of the strength of the trade since the start of the year.
Throughput in September of 180,617 head is running almost 9,000 higher than in September 2024, but this is just making up for a larger reduction in August.
As can be seen in Table 1, marts in Munster are by far the busiest, accounting for 48.4% of all cattle presented in sales. This was followed by marts in Leinster, where 24% of all animals presented in sales passed through the ring. The figure for Connacht was almost 18%, with the remaining 8.8% in marts in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. Marts here were the only ones that recorded reduced throughput of about 7% lower entries.
Meanwhile, the number of cattle involved in a farm-to-farm movement reduced by 27,920 head or 2.6% and was recorded at 1.036 million for the first nine months of 2025.
Movement figures are very much closely aligned with mart movement trends.
Over 46% of movements were recorded in Munster (movement is from the holding from which the animals moves from), 32.5% in Leinster, 13.4% in Connacht and 13.4% in Connacht.
The reduction in movements was driven by fewer transfers in Munster, with the figure falling by over 40,000 head or 7.7%.
Movements in every other region were up on 2024 levels. Reports indicate that some farmers opted to show cattle in marts to take advantage of keen demand.
Farm-to-farm movements include permanent farm movements and animals which have moved farm in a temporary arrangement, such as contract rearing agreements.
The latest mart throughput figures published by the Department of Agriculture show 53,226 more cattle traded in marts in the first nine months of the year.
Mart throughput of 1.459 million head is only running 16,301 head or 1.2% higher.
However, the number of cattle presented in sales and returning home unsold has more than halved reducing from 69,643 head in the corresponding period in 2024 to just 32,718 head in 2025.
This is one of the lowest figures for the number of animals unsold and is reflective of the strength of the trade since the start of the year.
Throughput in September of 180,617 head is running almost 9,000 higher than in September 2024, but this is just making up for a larger reduction in August.
As can be seen in Table 1, marts in Munster are by far the busiest, accounting for 48.4% of all cattle presented in sales. This was followed by marts in Leinster, where 24% of all animals presented in sales passed through the ring. The figure for Connacht was almost 18%, with the remaining 8.8% in marts in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. Marts here were the only ones that recorded reduced throughput of about 7% lower entries.
Meanwhile, the number of cattle involved in a farm-to-farm movement reduced by 27,920 head or 2.6% and was recorded at 1.036 million for the first nine months of 2025.
Movement figures are very much closely aligned with mart movement trends.
Over 46% of movements were recorded in Munster (movement is from the holding from which the animals moves from), 32.5% in Leinster, 13.4% in Connacht and 13.4% in Connacht.
The reduction in movements was driven by fewer transfers in Munster, with the figure falling by over 40,000 head or 7.7%.
Movements in every other region were up on 2024 levels. Reports indicate that some farmers opted to show cattle in marts to take advantage of keen demand.
Farm-to-farm movements include permanent farm movements and animals which have moved farm in a temporary arrangement, such as contract rearing agreements.
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