There was 205 weanlings available at Kanturk Mart’s autumn-born weanling sale on Tuesday. Mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe was pleasntly surprised with how things turned out. He said: “It was our first weanling sale of the year and we were a bit anxious beforehand. I had low expectations. But we had a full clearance. There was great weanlings there and that was a help, so the farmers deserve credit for that.

“There was a lot of people saying €2/kg is all they’ll be getting, so I was delighted when the first few sold well over that price. Our general sale was fine, there was plenty buyers and solid demand.”

Weanling bulls could be split into three categories. Those under 350kg were a super trade, with prices of €2.20/kg to €2.60/kg available. Those in the 350kg to 450kg bracket were a tougher sell with some making up to €2.40/kg. There was very little appetite for bull weanling over 450kg. While the most exceptional of these sold for prices similar to lighter bulls, in the main they hovered either side of €2/kg.

The weanling heifer trade was very solid. In the most, they sold from €2.14/kg up to €2.58/kg, with a small number of mainly traditional-beef breed heifers selling below this range.

Commission rates for weanlings are €8.50/head to the buyer and €9 to the seller. Entry is €2.50/head.