Farmers selling forward stores and fat cattle for fancy money are buying back replacements, but smaller numbers and lighter stock are generally being purchased due to rocketing prices.

With exporters and Northern Irish buyers pushing mart prices to record levels, many farmers have had to cut cattle purchases this spring.

David Quinn of Carnew Mart said farmers who had sold forward stores were definitely in the market for cattle, but many of them were buying fewer animals.

Quinn pointed out that farmers selling heavy cattle this spring are generally getting €400-500/hd more for their animals compared to last year but they are paying at least €300/hd more for 400-450kg replacements.

Some farmers are willing to take on this extra cost but others are opting to purchase fewer cattle or buy lighter cattle, he said.

Bigger numbers

Calves are also being bought in bigger numbers by farmers.

Seán Dennehy of Bandon Mart said farmers “who haven’t bought calves for years” have been active around the ring this spring.

Stephen Hannon of Aurivo Marts said a lot of the beef farmers who are currently selling forward stores and fat cattle already have their weanlings purchased since last autumn.

“For those who haven’t, it will be difficult and expensive on them if they want to replace those cattle with stock of similar quality,” Hannon said.

He predicted that some of the “seven-month men” or grass finishers will go for cross-bred cattle this year due to the high price and tighter supply of quality beef stock.

And Hannon believes cattle availability is likely to become an even bigger concern later this year given that around 75% of the weanlings being sold in the marts at the moment are going for export.

“The real impact of this will come in the back-end when the finishers come to fill sheds,” he said.