Ballyjamesduff Mart held its weekly dry cow sale on Tuesday, with a good mix of suckler and dairy cows through the ring.

It has been a positive start to 2022, with factory quotes improving from before the Christmas break.

A strong demand for manufacturing beef has meant factories are hungry for cows. This has filtered through to the mart trade and factory agents, feedlot finishers and farmer finishers were all very active around the ring in Ballyjamesduff for cows.

Top call of the day went to an April 2016-born cow weighing 860kg, with the hammer dropping at €2,760 (€3.20/kg)

This November 2015-born Limousin cow weighing 935kg sold for €2,300 (€2.46/kg).

This January 2014-born Friesian cow weighing 630kg sold for €800 (€1.27/kg).

This March 2018-born Charolais cow weighing 755kg sold for €1,730 (€2.29/kg).

This March 2015-born Hereford cow weighing 835kg sold for €1,770 (€2.12/kg).

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Ballyjamesduff mart manager John Tevlin said: “It’s been a very positive start to 2022, with the cattle trade taking off from where it left off in 2021. Forward store cattle are a super trade and there appears to be a lot of customers looking for cattle to finish within the next four months.”

Commenting on the Northern trade, he said: “We have more cattle heading north today than we had in a couple of weeks, all to farmer buyers.”

The general run of good-quality suckler-bred dry cows over 600kg with flesh was €2.10-€2.30/kg, with a few exceptional cows hitting over €2.40/kg.

Lesser types lacking flesh were back at €2/kg, while bare parlour cows were in around the €1.30-€1.40/kg mark.

In the suckler ring, there were 67 cows on offer including number of clearance sales for local farmers.

This February 2011-born Limousin cow weighing 705kg sold for €1,690 (€2.40/kg).

This March 2013-born Charolais cow weighing 835kg sold for €1,890 (€2.26/kg).

This March 2013-born Aberdeen Angus cow weighing 840kg sold for €1,790 (€2.13/kg).

This June 2020-born Charolais bullock weighing 505kg sold for €1,300 (€2.57/kg).

The general run of prices here was between €1,500 and €2,000, with a top call going to a 2017-born Belgian Blue cow due in March 2022 to a pedigree Limousin bull and selling for €3,520.

A 2020-born Charolais heifer in calf to a Limousin bull also sold for €2,680.

Tevlin said: “When you are getting between €1,500 and €2,000 for good-quality cull cows, farmers don’t think a lot about going over €2,000 for a good suckler cow calving in a few months.”

Ballyjamesduff Mart is holding an online sale of Fleckvieh heifers and dairy Shorthorn cows for David Clarke on Saturday 22 January. Stock can be viewed beforehand on farm.

Ballyjamesduff Mart hosts its weekly weanling, general cattle and suckler sales on Tuesdays while the dry cow, dairy and suckler calf sale takes place on Wednesdays. Sheep sales take place on Wednesday evenings.

For a full sale report, pick up a copy of this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, in shops this Thursday.