Buyers were in a competitive mood for light and medium weight stores for grazing at the weekly cattle sale in Swatragh Mart on Monday 22 May.

Just under 100 head of cattle went under the hammer with quality a major factor in driving buying interest.

Prices topped £1,640 for a 690kg Hereford bullock, which converts to 238p/kg. However, on a price per kilo basis, the trade peaked at 346p/kg for a 356kg Limousin bullock.

Angus bullocks topped out at £1,440 for a 640kg animal, while Blue cross bullocks peaked at £1,350 for a 620kg lot.

A good show of heifers saw prices reach £1,690 for a632kg Belgian Blue animal, with price per kilo peaking at 330p/kg for another Limousin cross weighing 324kg.

A small entry of fat cows were highly sought after and reached 219p/kg for a 616kg Limousin, which made £1,350. A Shorthorn bull weighing 824kg sold for £2,190.

Bullocks

Good-quality continental bullocks between 400kg and 450kg were limited in number, but where they did go under the hammer, they were an easy sell.

Prices generally ranged from £1,150 to £1,240 for Limousin and Charolais types, with plainer lots making £900 to just over the £1,000 mark.

Bullocks weighing 350kg to 400kg were a super trade with prices regularly exceeding the 300p/kg mark.

This Parthenaise heifer, born April 2022 and weighing 328kg, sold for £950.

This Parthenaise heifer, born April 2022 and weighing 348kg, sold for £1,020.

This Limousin heifer, born May 2022 and weighing 354kg, sod for £960.

This Belgian Blue cow, born April 2017 and weighing 582kg, sold for £1,140.

This Angus bullock, born April 2022 and weighing 500kg, sold for £1,370.

This Charolais bullock, born July 2022 and weighing 380kg, sold for £1,110.

Good-quality continental types generally sold upwards from 320p/kg, with 340p/kg paid towards the upper end of the market. Lighter types were equally in demand with similar prices on offer.

Heifers

There was a big show of heifers and again, where quality lots were forwarded, buyers exhibited greater appetite and pushed cattle into bigger money.

This Limousin heifer, born May 2022 and weighing 412kg, sold for £910.

This Blonde D'Aquitaine bullock, born July 2022 and weighing 322kg, sold for £990.

This Belgian Blue heifer, born January 2021 and weighing 632kg, sold for £1,690.

This Limousin bullock, born March 2022 and weighing 380kg, sold for £1,200.

This Limousin bullock, born February 2022 and weighing 356kg, sold for £1,230.

Heifers between 450kg and 500kg made upwards to £1,260 for a 426kg Limousin with £1,210 paid for a 476kg Charolais animal with plenty of lots crossing £1,100.

Light heifers between 320kg and 400kg were a sharper trade, with prices pushing over £1,170 and the main run of lots making upwards from £900 to £1,090 for a 398kg Limousin.

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