With much-improved grass growth, Saturday’s sale in Balla Mart was much larger than previous weeks, with sellers now looking at testing the market with cattle. Mart manager Michael Murphy said that the trade was very good and improved on where it had been in July. He added that buyer activity was well improved also.

The sale included one of the first autumn weanling sales, which attracted a good entry of good-quality bulls. Demand for the heavier bulls was strong, with agents buying for feeders active. Heavy bulls over 400kg sold from €1,000 to €1,100 for average-quality types while the best bulls sold for over €1,240/head. The average 350kg bull sold from €820 to €870, with top-quality types making from €900 to €950/head.

The trade for heavy bullocks could only be described as being strong, with buyers and agents actively snapping up any short-keep or heavy bullocks. Those over 600kg sold from €2.15/kg to €2.25/kg for average-quality types, while U grades sold from €2.30/kg to €2.40/kg or from €1,400 to €1,550/head.

One point to note was that any overage cattle or bullocks that had poor weight for age and would struggle to slaughter under 30 months were met with much weaker demand than in-spec stock, with prices of these running well behind the equivalent in-spec bullock.

Store bullocks from 400kg to 500kg were a steady trade where the quality on offer was good, but plain stores were a harder sell with some plain quality types going unsold. The average 450kg steer sold from €950 to €1,050.

The heifer trade was quite strong where heavier heifers were on offer, but the number of heavy types around 600kg was limited.

Better-quality heavy types sold for easily over €1,400/head while those over 500kg sold mainly from €1,200 to €1,300/head. Those just under the 500kg mark sold mainly from €1,100 to €1,200 for average-quality U grades. Light plain heifers like plain bullocks were a slightly more difficult trade, with light dairy-cross weanling heifers a very hard sell with prices of €1.70/kg to €1.80/kg offered for them, but the number of these on offer was low. Weanling heifers from 300kg to 400kg averaged at €2.20/kg but the better quality heifer sold from €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg.