Up to €2.40/kg has been paid in the marts for well-fleshed cows over the last week as a buoyant trade for manufacturing beef continues to drive demand.

“Cull cows are flying it,” said Listowel Mart manager PJ Mulvihill.

Well-fleshed cows close to finish made €2/kg to €2.30/kg at Listowel, with the best of the cows straight out of the parlour selling for €1.40/kg to €1.80/kg.

The majority of the heavy cows were bought by finishers, Mulvihill said, with a lot of the feeding cows purchased by farmers.

George Candler said there was a “frightful demand” for cows at Kilkenny, with finishers, factory agents and farmers all active around the sales’ rings. There had been “no tail off in demand” for cows this autumn, Candler said, and he predicted that competition could intensify as numbers inevitably tighten.

Cows coming directly from the milking parlour made from 90c/kg to €1.30/kg, with better-quality cows making €1.60 to €2.40/kg.

There was brisk demand for cull cows at Bandon Mart, with heavy cows topping €2/kg.

Store cows made from €1.40/kg to €1.60/kg, with light cows generally making around €1.20/kg, mart manager Seán Dennehy said.

The €710 paid for a 565kg Jersey-cross cow was indicative of the current strength of the market, he said.

Competition

The strong competition for cows is a reflection of high factory quotes. P grade cows are making around €4.50/kg in the factories, with O grades on €4.70/kg and R grades on €5/kg.

Meanwhile, the high prices paid for cull cows are helping to drive on demand for dairy heifers.

“Three cull cows will buy you two good heifers this year,” Mulvihill said.

The Listowel Mart manager reported strong farmer demand for in-calf heifers at a sale last week.

Heifers of 500kg and over were a particularly good trade, with prices ranging from €1,500/head to €1,700/head.

Lighter heifers from 430kg to 440kg generally made between €1,100 and €1,200/head.