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Camera at the mart attended the weekly cattle sale in Camlough Mart where 270 head went under the hammer.
While prices for forward stores are buoyant and running well ahead of factory prices for short-keep animals, there has been a sharp increase in buying demand for lighter grazing cattle.
Mart manager Brendan Reavey commented on the sale, saying that lighter cattle are a flying trade at present, with farmers and cattle agents competing directly on good quality continental types.
Cattle which are benefitting most are weanlings under 300kg, with well-bred Charolais and Limousin types making 270p to 280p/kg on numerous occasions.
Male weanlings weighing 250kg to 280kg sold from 270p to 283p/kg at the upper end of the trade, with a 255kg Charolais animal making £720, followed by a 270kg animal making £750.
Heavier lots weighing closer to 300kg liveweight sold from 250p to 265p/kg, with a 295kg Limousin making £770.
Heifer weanlings at similar weights were an electric trade, with tremendous prices on offer. Good-quality continental types around 250kg repeatedly sold from 280p to 295p/kg, with a 255kg Limousin animal making £740, while another Limousin at the same weight made £720.
Heavier lots closer to 300kg sold to £790 for a 310kg Limousin animal.
Heavy bullocks sold to £1,575 for an 815kg Limousin animal, with another stand-out price of £1,450 for a 785kg animal.
Top-quality forward stores typically sold from 200p to 220p/kg, with a 565kg Limousin animal making £1,250 and a 530kg animal making £1,150. Traditional beef breeds sold to £1,155 for a 535kg Hereford.
Mid-weight bullocks sold from 200p to 242p/kg, with a 420kg Charolais animal making £1,015 and a 435kg animal making £1,050. Angus bullocks sold to £1,055 for a 490kg animal.
Heifers sold to £1,185 for a 640kg Limousin, with a 570kg Charolais animal making £1,115. Mid-weight heifers sold from 218p to 235p/kg, with a 480kg Limousin animal making £1,095 and a 490kg Charolais making £1,110.
Cull cows sold to £1,220 for an 815kg Charolais cow, followed by £1,120 for a 680kg Limousin.
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