Though slightly back on last week, beef heifers over weighing 600kg were met with firm demand at Ballyjamesduff Mart on Tuesday.

Factory-fit heifers averaged €2.33/kg, while store heifers in the 400-600kg range were slightly ahead, averaging €2.40/kg.

Commenting on the store heifer trade, mart manager John Tevlin said: “Grass buyers were to the fore this week, with a strong Northern presence.”

He attributed the slight drop in prices to a high volume of cattle coming through, with "a few too many movements".

This April 2020-born LMX bullock, weighing 280kg, sold for €780 (€2.70/kg

Bullock trade

Similarly, there was plenty of interest in the bullocks entered, with store bullocks topping out at €3.31/kg for spring 2020-born Charolais animal.

Prices were again driven by a strong contingent of Northern Irish buyers.

Factory-fit bullocks averaged €2.25/kg.

Much like the heifers on offer, the quality of bullocks in the yard could be described as lesser than previous weeks, with a contingent of average stock and a number with a high number of movements.

Store bullocks suitable for grass remained in demand.

This May 2019-born LMX bullock, weighing 600kg, sold for €1,380 (€2.30/kg).

Sale overview

Offering his opinion of the trade, mart manager John Tevlin said: “This sale saw a strong presence of both grass buyers and northern buyers, with a strong online demand for the good quality cattle. Overall, there was a strong trade for quality cattle.”

Overall, the entry included a large amount of cattle aged over 36 months and these averaged €2.50/kg.

This April 2019-born CHX heifer, weighing 590kg, and sold for €1,380 (€2.34/kg).

Upcoming sales

Ballyjamesduff Mart is facilitating a number of on farm dairy sales in the coming weeks through its online bidding platform. The first of these sales takes place on Wednesday 31 March, with 73 maiden dairy heifers set to go under the hammer.

This April 2019-born HEX heifer, weighing 580kg, sold for €1,230 (€2.18/kg).

This February 2020-born HEX heifer, weighing 290kg, sold for €700 (€2.41/kg).

This April 2019-born LMX bullock, weighing 540kg, sold for €1,440 (€2.67/kg).

This April 2020-born CHX heifer, weighing 380kg, sold for €1,010 (€2.66/kg).

This September 2019-born LMX heifer, weighing 385kg, sold for €1020 (€2.65/kg).