Plainer cattle a little easier at Balla Mart

Despite much more Brexit negativity in the last week, the trade today in Balla was quite resilient.

Good-quality heavy bullocks were a strong and steady trade, with those over 600kg selling from €1,300 to €1,500. Store bullocks over 500kg sold mainly from €1,100 to €1,330/head depending on quality.

There was a share of plainer Angus and Hereford stores which sold from €850 to €1,150.

Store bullocks from 400kg to 500kg were a good trade with farmer buyers still quite active for all good-quality types.

Quality

Prices ranged mainly from €1,100 to €1,200 for top-quality types but plain cattle were a much weaker trade, especially poor-quality Friesians and Angus.

Weanling bulls were a strong trade where the quality on offer was good, but there were some plainer types that were a harder sell.

Good-quality heifers were a steady trade on last week but plainer heifers were harder sold.

At the top of the market, well-conformed heifers over 600kg sold to over €1,500/head while plainer types making from €1,100 to €1,200.

Heifers

Heifers over 500kg were not that common but were a good trade. They sold mainly from €1,150 to €1,300 but some plainer Hereford and Angus types sold from €800 to €900/head. Lighter stores from 400kg to 500kg were steady again where quality was good, but a higher proportion of plainer heifers didn’t sell compared to last week.

Weanling heifers under 300kg sold mainly from €600 to €750 depending on quality. Heavier heifers over 300kg were a strong trade and mainly from €750 to €900 with better-quality types making over €950.