Five-hundred cattle were on offer at Ballina Mart’s weekly sale on Tuesday, as numbers ease off for the time of year, with mart manager Billy Loftus describing it as a “roaring trade for beef and store cattle with exporters competing for cattle with factory and feedlot agents”.

Bullocks

Northern Ireland customers and feedlot buyers were active around the ring for well-fleshed cattle, as well as any Angus-cross cattle present, with farmer demand for lighter stores high throughout the sale.

Bullocks weighing from 401kg to 500kg sold from €2.25 to €3.52/kg, averaging €2.80/kg, while bullocks from 501kg to 600kg sold from €2.65 to €3.38/kg, averaging €2.98/kg.

Heavier bullocks were in shorter supply, which saw buyers competing hard to secure numbers, with bullocks weighing 601kg to 700kg selling from €2.82 to €3.13/kg, averaging €2.99/kg overall.

Some top prices among bullocks were a 696kg Limousin-cross bullock selling for €2,180 (€3.22/kg) and a Charolais-cross bullock that weighed 440kg and sold for €1,550 (€3.52/kg).

Heifers

Similar to bullocks, Northern Ireland customers and feedlot buyers drove demand for heavier, short-keep cattle, which saw the average price per kg for heavy heifers surpass lighter heifers.

Farmers were active for lighter-type store heifers. Heifers weighing between 401kg and 500kg sold from €2.20 to €3.98/kg, averaging €2.85. Heifers between 501kg and 600kg sold from €2.41 to €3.14/kg, averaging €2.75/kg.

Heavy heifers between 601kg and 700kg sold from €2.79 to €3.65/kg, averaging €3.14/kg, with particular demand for any factory-fit Angus heifers and quality continental types.

Some top prices in the heifers was a Limousin-cross weighing 672kg selling for €2,450 (€3.65/kg), while a Charolais-cross heifer weighing 464kg sold for €1,850 (€3.98/kg).

Cull cows

Cull cow numbers remained high, with farmers opting to bring fleshed cows to the mart. Several factory agents were noticeable around the ring, with heated bidding for quality factory-fit cows.

Cows weighing 501kg to 600kg averaged €2.25/kg to a top of €2.86/kg, with cows weighing between 601kg and 700kg averaging €2.46/kg to a top of €3.20/kg.

In pictures

This June 2021-born Charolais-cross bullock weighed 370kg and sold for €1,070 (€2.89/kg).

This April 2021-born Limousin-cross bullock weighed 354kg and sold for €1,040 (€2.93/kg).

This August 2020-born Angus-cross bullock weighed 664kg and sold for €1,880 (€2.83/kg).

This 2018-born Limousin-cross cow weighed 628kg and sold for €1,700 (€2.70/kg).

This 2015-born Charolais-cross cow weighed 694kg and sold for €1,650 (€2.37/kg).

This 2015-born Charolais-cross cow weighed 688kg and sold for €1,800 (€2.62/kg).

This 2018-born Limousin-cross cow weighed 566kg and sold for €1,380 (€2.43/kg).

This March 2021-born Charolais-cross heifer weighed 440kg and sold for €1,440 (€3.20/kg).

This April 2020-born Limousin-cross heifer weighed 500kg sold for €1,490 (€2.98/kg).

This March 2021-born Charolais-cross heifer weighed 350kg and sold for €1,110 (€3.17/kg).

This July 2020-born Charolais-cross heifer weighed 522kg and sold for €1,490 (€2.85/kg).