UK and Northern Irish buyers dominated at last week’s dispersal sale of the Glenmore herd in Donegal. Over 1,800 dairy stock went under the hammer last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the sale conducted by Scottish-based Harrison and Hetherington Auctioneers in association with Ballybofey & Stranorlar Mart.

This 2016-born Friesian cow, calved June 2019 and running with an Angus bull since December, sold for €1,500.

Speaking after the sale, Glyn Lucas of Harrison and Hetherington Auctioneers said that 90% of the stock were exported to the UK.

He added that the farm being close to Derry Airport meant that buyers had easy access to the sale.

He added that there were UK farmers in grass-based systems buying the crossbred stock also. One factor that helped the sale the organic status of the herd.

This 2016-born Friesian cow, calved since May 2019 and running with an Angus bull since December, sold for €1,000.

The top price for the cows was €2,400, with a good proportion of the upper end of cows selling from €1,800 to €2,100. Lucas added that the main run of average-quality stock sold from €1,200 to €1,600/head for milkers. Maidens sold for about €850/head on average, with one standout price of €1,800 paid for a heifer out of a high index bull.

This 2017-born Friesian cow, running with an Angus bull since December, sold for €1,200.

The large entry of suck calves saw buyers from the UK outstrip southern buyers, with only two calves sold in the south. Prices of sucks ranged mainly from €400 to €600/head.

This 2017-born cow, calved since October 2019 and due to calve in August, sold for €1,100.

This maiden heifer born August 2019 sold for €800.