Portumna Mart hosted its first sale of the year on Wednesday with buyers eager for cattle.

While numbers were small, nearly all of the 65 cattle present found new homes, with an overall average just shy of €2/kg.

Factory agents remain eager for fit stock and taking the top price of the sale was a well-fleshed Blue heifer.

The April 2019-born heifer weighed in at 605kg and sold for €1,790 or €2.96/kg.

Light numbers

While demand was there for fit cattle, numbers on the ground were very light.

Other Blue heifers exceeding the 600kg mark came into around the €2.30/kg mark.

Top-priced bullock was again from the Blue breed, with a 21-month-old weighing 585kg selling for €1,350 (€2.31/kg).

There were a number of light weanlings born in spring 2020 on offer and those showing a bit of shape broke the €2.40/kg mark on a number of occasions.

Taking the top price in this section was a pair of April-born Charolais heifers that weighed 283kg and sold for €780 (€2.76/kg). Males of the same age were led by a Limousin bull that weighed 330kg and sold for €840 (€2.55/kg).

In pictures