Carnaross Mart held its first sale identifying weanlings that have never received antibiotics or GM feed on Tuesday night. The move comes in response to Italy’s largest retailer, Coop Italia, announcing earlier this year that it intends to supply beef in 2018 that has never received antibiotics or GM feed. There were about 900 weanlings on offer on Tuesday, with over 1,100 cattle passing through the rings on Monday last. According to auctioneer Pat Larmer, numbers this week were up about 20% on the same sale last year.

There was a good entry of light bulls weighing less than 300kg, which sold mainly from €2.70/kg to €3.00/kg, with the best-quality lots selling to a top of €3.20/kg. Heavy O grading bulls and dairy-crosses born in 2016 and weighing 400kg to 500kg sold for about €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg, with R grading bulls to €2.30/kg to €2.40/kg, while the best-quality U grading bulls sold from €2.40/kg to €2.60/kg.

In the heifer ring, those weighing 380kg to 450kg sold from €2.30/kg to €2.40/kg on average, with a selection of excellent-quality heifers rising to €2.50/kg to €2.60/kg.

Dairy-crosses sold from €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg for O grading Angus-, Hereford- and Limousin-crosses weighing under 350kg. Good-quality continental heifers in the same weight bracket sold form €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg, with the best-quality lots rising to €2.70/kg to €3.00/kg.