Newport annual dairy and suckler sale traditionally gathers sellers and buyers from the Limerick, north Tipperary and the Clare catchment region. On the dairy-side quality, AI-bred, in-calf heifers with pedigree or EBI information, and calving in Feburary and March, made in the region of €1,300.

Similarly on the suckler side, a lack of quality stock on offer did not see many lots making very big money.

Dairy

Nice-quality dairy stock made decent money in the dairy ring.

AI-bred, well-grown purebred Holstein Friesian heifers made between €1,200 and €1,400.

For example, lot 38 from Cappawhite, AI-bred, calving the end of February, date of birth 20 February 2017 with no EBI data available made €1,340.

One lot of freshly calved stock, mainly second calvers, from Abbeyfeale made good money.

For example, lot 18 was a 645kg Holstein Friesian, date of birth 7 May 2015 and calved six days started at €1,200 in the ring and eventually sold for €1,550.

It is fair to say there were no real fancy dairy stock with good production figures on offer, hence there were no real fancy prices for dairy stock.

The best prices were reserved for those heifers closer to calving and well-grown. Lighter heifers due to calve in March and April with no signs of softening or no real pedigree information struggled to make €800 to €900 each.

For example lot six, second calver, time up 6 March, in calf to a Hereford and with a date of birth 2 March 2013, made €650 in the ring and left unsold.

Sucklers

Over 200 lots of sucklers were on offer and selling ended at about 5.30pm.

There were very few cows with calves at foot compared to other years.

Similar to the dairy sale there was a right mix of quality, age and weight.

As a general comment, the quality of suckler-bred stock was on the lower side compared to other years.

Two nice pedigree Limousin heifers made €1,400 each. In other years there could have been 20 to 30 of these types, but not this year.

Ordinary clearance suckler bred stock sold from €800 upwards to choice lots making €1,200 to €1,300 each.

The annual Lee Auctionneers sale of dairy stock and suckler cows took place in Newport Mart today on the Tipperary-Limerick border.

Over 100 lots of mostly dairy heifers and over 200 suckler lots went through the ring.

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