Farmers have been extremely active for suckler cows with calves at foot in recent weeks, with demand outstripping supply. On Monday, March-calving suckler outfits sold to £3,020 at Omagh Mart, with a sale average of £2,950, for a special consignment of first-calved heifers with Limousin calves.

Markethill Mart also saw a super trade for suckler outfits on Saturday with prices running to £2,850 for a first-calved Limousin heifer with a Limousin bull calf at foot.

In Ballymena, suckler outfits sold to £2,600 for a special entry of first-calving Aubrac heifers with calves at foot, with multiple lots above the £2,000 mark.

Mart managers indicate that a buoyant trade for cull cows means farmers are culling hard and reinvesting in breeding stock.

It is a similar trend in the dairy sector, with a dispersal sale of pedigree Holsteins for David Throne at Dungannon last week reaching a top of 4,750gns, with a sale average of 1,870gns across 66 lots.

Reports suggest some dairy farmers who availed of financial assistance under the government supported bounceback loan scheme are sourcing additional milking stock to increase output and dilute overheads.

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