Mart managers have reported a large increase in calf numbers again in the last week, with peak numbers expected to come over the coming two to three weeks. With larger numbers on offer, prices have eased considerably in some areas.

Age of calves at sale is having a major impact on prices, with light two-week-old Friesian bulls selling mainly from €20 to €40/head in some sales, with some marts reporting prices back to as little as €5 to €10 for very poor-quality types.

The majority of calves bought by exporters are selling from €40 to €70/head and they are mainly stronger types over three weeks of age, with lower demand for young two-week-olds.

ICBF figures show that the majority of calves on offer are two to three weeks of age, with farmers offloading them as quickly as possible.

Mart managers are calling on farmers to hold calves and feed them on for an extra week and they will get rewarded in terms of prices.

With exporter activity ramping up, there are still concerns over whether exporters will be able to cope with the extremely high numbers which will be on offer in the coming weeks.