Tullow Mart in Co Carlow held their first dedicated dairy sale on Wednesday last. The highlight of the trade was a special entry of 30 spring 2020-born maiden dairy heifers offered for sale by local farmers Jamie and Lorraine Kealy. The heifers had Economic Breeding Index (EBI) figures in excess of €180, which was underpinned by strong fertility credentials.

The heifers sold in an excellent trade, with the group achieving an average sale price of €1,060 per head. There was a tight range in price with 29 out of the 30 selling from €1,000 to €1,100 and the remaining heifer sold for €1,120.

Mart manager Eric Driver said demand for young stock in the area is being driven by producers who recently converted to dairying and those who developed their facilities to allow expansion and are now looking for animals to utilise and generate a return on the investment.

Freshly-calved younger cows are trading in a price range averaging €1,200 to €1,500, with aged cows in milk selling from €1,000 upwards for older freshly-calved cows.

A significant percentage of the remaining dairy stock on offer were cows not yet calved, with aged lots not calving until late March or April selling back to €750 to €800 per head. The next dedicated dairy sale in Tullow Mart takes place on Wednesday 24 March.

Dairy sales on fire as cows top €2,000 mark

Maiden dairy heifers average in excess of €1,000 in Tullow Mart

The strong breeding credentials of the heifers with an EBI in excess of €180 whet the appetite of more producers and added to an already buoyant trade.