Kanturk Mart in north Cork hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Tuesday, with strong demand for forward cattle.

Numbers remain much higher than usual for this time of year, with 570 animals put through the scales.

Demand from online bidders remains as hot as ever, with nearly 50% of all lots sold on a weekly basis secured by online buyers.

These two Hereford bullocks and a Limousin bullock had an average weight of 625kg and sold for €1,430 (€2.29/kg).

Speaking after the sale, mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe said: “Once again, there was a great demand for all types of cattle. Bullock prices in particular were up €50 to €100 on last week’s sale.”

This 17-month-old Hereford heifer weighed 545kg sold for €1,180 (€2.17/kg).

Overall, prices were led with a call of €2.55/kg, which was hit on two occasions. First at the money was one of the early lots in, a three-year-old Limousin cow. Weighing in at 715kg, she hit the market at €1,820.

Given the location of the mart, the majority of stock on offer were from Friesian descent.

This three-year-old 670kg Hereford bullock sold for €1,340 (€2/kg).

Leading the Frisian cow prices was a 705kg cow that sold for €1,090 (€1.55/kg). Younger Friesians lighter in weight came into higher prices per kilogramme and hit close to the €1,000 mark. That said, the majority on offer were bouncing between €1.40/kg and €1.50/kg.

This 30-month-old Friesian bullock weighed 710kg and sold for €1,390 (€1.96/kg).

Matching the day’s top price of €2.55/kg was a 510kg Limousin that hit the market at €1,300. As stated by Seamus, prices for bullocks was much improved on the week, with dealers and factory representatives willing to pay that bit more for more forward cattle.

Fed Angus- and Hereford-cross cattle continue to be the picks, with close to €2.30/kg on offer for select lots.

Topping these was a Hereford bullock that weighed 625kg and sold for €1,430 (€2.29/kg).

These six 18-month-old Angus heifers weighed 413kg and sold for €820 (€1.99/kg).

Top-priced heavy, full dairy bullock was 710kg and hit the market at €1,390 (€1.96/kg). Forward Friesians suitable for short-term feeding hit higher, with a 645kg bullock selling for €1,290.

These five 18-month-old Friesian bullocks weighed 494kg and sold for €900 (€1.82/kg).

Lighter traditional-bred stock continue to be in demand, but those failing to hit the 400kg mark that will need next summer at grass have definitely eased in prices. These are now hitting around the €2/kg mark, with slightly more paid for heifers over bulls.

Top heifer price was a 586kg Limousin that came into €1,340 (€2.29/kg).

These three 18-month-old Friesian bullocks weighed 455kg and sold for €770 (€1.69/kg).

Next Tuesday, the mart will host its spring-born weanling show and sale sponsored by Boherbue Co-Op. The sale will start in ring 1 at 10.30am.

Other lots

This pair of two-year-old Hereford heifers weighed 417kg and sold for €740 (€1.77/kg).

This 10-year-old Friesian cow weighed 650kg and sold for €930 (€1.43/kg).

These three Limousin heifers, born spring 2020, weighed 363kg and sold for €730 (€2.01/kg).

This six-and-a-half year-old Angus bull weighed 790kg and sold for €1,400 (€1.77/kg).

This pair of Angus heifers, born spring 2020, weighed 377kg and sold for €730 (€1.94/kg).

This 18-month-old Hereford heifer weighed 400kg and sold for €770 (€1.93/kg).