Last Friday’s sale at Raphoe Mart saw the annual Christmas fatstock sale take place. The sale has continued to gather momentum year on year.

Mart manager Anne Harkin said that this year’s sale saw farmers from all over the region entering stock into the sale.

In terms of numbers, there were 180 head on offer and just seven went home unsold.

Anne said that the quality of stock on offer was exceptionally strong once again this year and that farmers are raising the bar year on year in terms of the quality of stock being entered into the sale.

Despite a much more challenging beef trade this year compared with last year, Anne said that they were quite surprised at how strong the trade was, especially when you consider the uncertainty that is out there at the moment and the issues around Brexit.

Sellers were very satisfied with the prices they received.

While prices were back on the same sale last year, Anne said that the majority of farmers were very happy with the trade.

The highest price paid was for an 865kg Belgian Blue bullock, which sold for €3,400 or €3.93/kg. The best cow sold at €2,700, while a local butcher paid €2,750 for the winning 600kg butchers’ heifer.

Anne said that the majority of demand was from southern factories and local butchers, but about 25 cattle went to Northern Ireland and were bought by factories and butchers.

Butchers’ demand was mainly centred on the heifers, but some did buy cows also.

In terms of the commercial cattle, heifers sold from €980 for 475kg or from €2.06/kg upwards.

The top-priced heifer at the sale was the prizewinning butchers’ heifer, which made €2,750.

Anne said that the cow trade was the most affected, with lower prices than the same time last year.

She said that average prices for fat cows were back by between €200 and €300/head on the same sale last year, but the prices of bullocks and heifers was only marginally lower than last year.

The lowest-priced cow at the sale was a 635kg continental feeding cow that sold for €1,000 or €1.57/kg.

Commission rates are €9 to the buyer and €11 to the seller.