The Irish Farmers Journal MartBids App was running live from Balla Mart today, allowing farmers and buyers to look through the catalogue prior to the sale. For more information on MartBids, please look at the Irish Farmers Journal Snapchat account.

There were about 900 cattle at today’s sale in Balla which were met with strong demand. The number of heavy cattle on offer was low today, with the majority of those on offer being stores.

Demand

While prices are a little easier than they were a few weeks ago, demand for good-quality stores is still strong.

Those over 600kg were a good trade and sold mainly from €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg for average-quality types while better-quality bullocks made over €2.20/kg.

Lighter forward store bullocks from 500kg to 600kg were a similar trade to previous weeks and sold mainly from €1,000 to €1,150/head for average-quality types. Better-quality types made over €1,200 at times.

This Charolais cross heifer, born April 2017 and weighing 475kg, sold for €1,065 (€2.42/kg).

Light stores from 400kg to 500kg were plentiful and sold mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg for average-quality R grades with better-quality U grades making €2.40/kg and upwards.

Where Angus bullocks were on offer they were a good trade and sold for about €80 to €100/head less than average-quality continentals.

Quality

The quality on offer in the heifer ring was quite good once again this week. The majority of heifers on offer were from 400kg to 500kg with only small numbers over 500kg on offer.

The main demand for store heifers saw prices of those in that weight bracket range mainly from €2.00/kg to €22.0/kg depending on quality.

Some better-quality types sold easily for over €2.40/kg, while plain dairy-cross types made from €1.80/kg upwards. R+ and U grade heifers from 500kg to 600kg were a steady trade and sold mainly from €1,150 to €1,300.

Along with the cull cow sale there was a special entry of in-calf springers. The mart ring was packed out for this entry and the trade was brisk for better-quality types.

This Belgian Blue cross in-caf heifer, born April 2016 and weighing 710kg, due December to AI Limousin bull, sold for €2,000.

At the top of the market, heifers sold to over €2,600/head with good-quality square heifers making from €2,000/head and upwards.

There were some heifers that sold from €1,700 upwards also, but sellers were reluctant to let them go around these prices.

Like recent weeks it’s the larger framed square and well grown in-calf heifers that are receiving the price premiums. The majority of cull cows with flesh were selling from €250 to €350 over the weight with top-quality cows making over €450 along with the weight. Old and plain cows sold from the weight to €150 over.

This Limousin cross in-caf heifer, born March 2016 and weighing 700kg, due 7 February to AI Limousin bull, was bid to €2,100.

This Limousin cross in-caf heifer, born May 2016 and weighing 704kg, due 20 January to AI bull ZAG, was bid to €1,900 but not sold.

This Limousin cross in-caf heifer, born February 2016 and weighing 710kg, due at the end of January to AI bull ZAG, sold for €2,100.

This Charolais cross bullock, born September 2017 and weighing 335kg, sold for €740 (€2.21/kg).

This Charolais cross bullock, born March 2017 and weighing 540kg, sold for €1,140 (€2.11/kg).

This Limousin cross bullock, born June 2017 and weighing 450kg, sold for €1,020 (€2.27/kg).

This Angus cross bullock, born April 2017 and weighing 505kg, sold for €900 (€1.78/kg).

This Limousin cross bullock, born July 2017 and weighing 480kg, sold for €1,040 (€2.17/kg).

This Limousin cross bullock, born May 2017 and weighing 490kg, sold for €1,070 (€2.18/kg).

This Limousin cross bullock, born July 2016 and weighing 535kg, sold for €950 (€1.77/kg).

The crowd viewing the springer sale at Balla Mart.