Camera at the Mart attended the fortnightly cattle sale at Downpatrick Mart, where there was a more seasonal offering of livestock forwarded.

Cattle quality was a broad mix of suckler-bred stock and dairy-bred beef, with a good showing of forward cattle and lighter stores on offer.

This in-calf Fleckvieh heifer, born November 2017, sold for £890.

There was also a small entry of in-calf heifers forwarded on the evening with breeding originating from the dairy herd.

Commenting on the sale, mart manager Sean McConvey said there was an increased turnout of buyers on the evening.

He added that with the start of the grazing season just a few weeks away, there was plenty of interest in lighter store animals, with buyers looking to get better value for money by picking up animals early.

This in-calf Angus heifer, born December 2017, sold for £780.

This renewed buying interest resulted in an improved trade for lighter stores. Sean added that standout prices saw 253p/kg paid for a 316kg Limousin bullock, which made £799, with light heifers under 300kg selling to a peak price per kilo of 258p/kg.

Topping the trade

Topping the trade for bullocks was an October 2017-born Hereford-bred animal. Crossing the weighbridge at 724kg, this animal saw the hammer fall at £1,150 or 159p/kg.

Other stand-out prices on bullocks saw a 510kg Belgian Blue-bred animal, born in August 2018 and weighing 510kg, making £950 or 186p/kg.

Dairy-bred bullocks sold to £960 for a 630kg Fleckvieh-bred animal, while a Shorthorn-cross bullock weighing 510kg sold for £770.

This in-calf Hereford heifer, born December 2017, sold for £700.

Lighter bullocks with some level of dairy breeding saw a 300kg Shorthorn-cross animal making £530 and a 420kg Shorthorn-cross bullock making £640.

A small entry of in-calf heifers sold to £890 for a Fleckvieh-cross animal, with other in-calf animals making £780.

This Shorthorn bullock, weighing 300kg and born December 2018, sold for £530.

Store heifers were a solid trade, with prices peaking at a top price of £1,120 for a 714kg Aberdeen Angus-bred animal, which at a sale weight of 714kg converts to 157p/kg.

This was followed by a 544kg Limousin heifer, born in Janaury 2018, selling for £975 or 179p/kg.

Lighter store heifers saw a 316kg Limousin-bred animal born in April 2019 selling for £564 or 178p/kg.