Camera at the mart was at the weekly cattle sale in Clogher Mart on Saturday. Prices remain firm for all classes of stock, with buyers extremely competitive for cull cows and heavy fleshed store animals.

Cattle numbers are steady, with 1,383 animals forwarded on the day. With a solid beef trade, there are plenty of beef finishers looking for good-quality cattle for a quick finishing period.

Mart manager Harrison Boyd commented on the trade, saying that buying demand is still running ahead of the supply of cattle.

He added that good-quality stock are a super trade and easily sold, while the trade for cull cows remains buoyant, with prices continuing to hold firm.

The cow trade peaked at 219p/kg for a 660kg Limousin animal which made £1,445. Heavy fleshed continental cross cows sold from 180p/kg to over 200p/kg on numerous occasions.

Plainer cows sold from 150p to 178p/kg, with feeding cows selling upwards from 120p/kg depending on quality.

Friesian cows sold from 128p to 140p/kg for slaughter-fit animals, with plainer and feeding cows selling from 64p to 100p/kg.

Bullocks sold to a top price of £1,630 for an 820kg Charolais animal, with a 790kg animal making £1,625.

Angus bullocks sold to a top price of £1,590 for a 720kg animal, with Limousin cattle peaking at £1,385 for a 690kg animal.

The main trade for heavy bullocks saw cattle selling from £1,330 to £1,400. Mid-weight stores sold from £965 to £1,185 for good-quality continental types weighing 400kg to 500kg.

A smaller entry of heifers sold to a top price of £1,450 for a 680kg Charolais animal, with Limousin heifers selling to £1,390 for a 680kg animal.

Forward heifers sold from £1,110 to £1,350, with mid-weight animals making £845 to £1,080. Lighter types sold from £650 to £800.

Weanlings were a solid trade, with bulls selling upwards to £1,100 for animals weighing over 450kg, with heifers making £785 to £900.

Suckler cows and calves were in demand, with a big entry of stock selling to £1,785 for first-calved heifers with heifer calves at foot.

Second-calving cows with calves at foot sold to £1,780.