330kg bullocks make over €2,000 or €6.20/kg at Delvin
There were over 100 bullocks – 80% of which were under 500kg, and in the bullock sale, prices topped out at €6.24/kg for a year-old 330kg Limousin bullock that made €2,060, bought by a farmer.
Bullocks under 500kg averaged €4.08/kg or €1,420/head on average.
Potterton said: 'Last year, the May 2024 average sale price for bullocks under 500kg at Delvin Mart was €2.62/kg – an average price increase of €1.46/kg.
'That's the same across all weight categories – they were all about €2.60/kg last year and they're all averaging about €4/kg plus this year.'
In the heifer sale, the top price went to a 325kg pedigree Limousin heifer that sold for €2,700 or €8.30/kg bought by a suckler farmer for breeding.
Two Limousin heifers averaging 295kg sold for €1,480 or €5.01/kg and another 315kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,710 or €5.42/kg.
Heifers under 300kg averaged €4.25/kg while the 300-400kg heifers averaged €4.01/kg.
400-500kg heifers averaged €4.14/kg, which was up from an average price of €2.70/kg this time last year, while heifers over 500kg averaged €4.06/kg.
According to Potterton: 'The average price in yesterday's sale for cows over 500kg was €3.18/kg. That's up from €2.05/kg in May 2024.
'In money terms, cows over 500kg were averaging €1,270 in May 2024 and and at the sale on Thursday, they averaged €2,000/head and there's a lot of Friesian cows in the sale here.
'There was a 655kg Friesian cow that made €2,580 or €3.93/kg at the sale here on Thursday.'
Calves at Delvin Mart
There were over 130 calves sold in the Thursday sale, leading to a full clearance with strong prices continuing.
Potterton said: 'There were beef-sired calves sold here of Friesian/Jersey-cross cows coming into €500, you'd have change out of €150 buying some of them last year.'
The top price in the calf sale went to a reared Simmental bull calf off a Friesian cow that made €790 and was bought by an exporter.
Potterson said that some farmers sold May-born calves at the most recent sale that averaged €350 and the same calves 'would have done well to average €200 last year'.
The mart also hosted its sheep sale on Thursday with the trade described as 'a little easier' and 40-50kg lambs averaging €3.84/kg, which was back on the average price from last year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
18 hours ago
- Agriland
Beef trade: Where to now for beef prices and the autumn cattle trade?
The reduced supply of cattle in recent weeks has been hindering processor attempts to reduce prices paid to farmers in the beef trade. Irish beef price has now surpassed the overall average British beef price. According to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), in the week ending Saturday, August 8, the average British 'R3' heifer price was £6.48/kg, 13p/kg below the average Irish price of £6.61/kg. Cattle prices have lifted by 40c/kg and more in cases in the past five weeks after declining from record highs in early April of this year. Beef industry personnel have told Agriland the current price lifts being seen are being driven by reduced supply rather than increased market returns, which is generally an indicator that price lifts will be short-lived. However, with cattle supplies expected to be below last year's levels for the remainder of the year and some factories now only operating on a three-day-week kill, supplies could well remain tight into the year-end at least. UK market forecasts suggest British beef supplies to decline in the second half of this year also - potentially further increasing UK import demand for beef. Often at this time of the year, Irish factories reduce their level of activity at marts and it is not uncommon for beef prices to drop off at this time of year ahead of winter-beef finishers traditionally moving out to buy cattle for their systems. There has also been talk in recent days of some factory outlets, that are not already doing so, enforcing a rule that all cattle purchased in a mart must remain in a herd for a minimum number of days prior to slaughter. While several beef markets already require this, it remains to be seen if this will be enforced across the board and what impact - if any - it will have on the mart trade for heavy cattle. Export demand and farmers replacing cattle will likely keep a firm floor on the trade for store and lighter-type cattle and beef farmers will have plenty of buying power this autumn after the strong uplift in the beef trade this year. The rhetoric from factory procurement managers is that beef prices have to come back to levels similar to before the most recent lift (past five weeks). However, the heated competition between processors to secure the limited supply of slaughter-fit Irish beef cattle could well continue to thwart this into the end of the grazing season at least - assuming Irish beef remains in demand at the price in its key markets and cheaper beef imports from the southern hemisphere do not gain a stronger foothold in these markets.
Agriland
3 days ago
- Agriland
23 seasonal work permit holders currently in Ireland as part of pilot scheme
A total of 33 Seasonal Employment Permits were granted under the new pilot scheme this year. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) confirmed to Agriland that there are 23 seasonal permit holders in the state currently. "One permit holder decided not to come to the state and nine visa applications were unsuccessful," the DETE spokesperson said. "The pilot permit holders are from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan." The Seasonal Employment Permit is a new short-term employment permit. This year, a pilot scheme is operating to test its long-term viability. The permit allows non-EEA nationals to work in Ireland for three to seven months in a 12-month period. The DETE spokesperson said that the duration of the work permit "depends on the employment contract, however the maximum end date for the scheme as prescribed is November 14, 2025". "The pilot scheme was limited to horticultural operatives in the soft fruit or vegetable growing sector," the spokesperson added. The minimum annual remuneration threshold for these permits has been set at €30,000 per annum, pro rata to the duration of the employment. In relation to expanding the scheme, the spokesperson said that following completion of the pilot, an evaluation will be carried out to assess the pilot progress, and a report will then be prepared for the minister. The department this week published the latest figures on work permits issued overall to the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector this year. The department issued 109 work permits to the sector in July, bringing the total number issued so far in 2025 to 1,116. The updated figures show that 61 permits were issued in June this year, compared to 117 in May. The highest number of permits so far this year were issued in February with 250, followed by 243 in March. Across all sectors, a total of 17,259 permits have issued in 2025 so far.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Want a chance to tour farms across New Zealand?
LIC Ireland are giving a limited number of Irish farmers an opportunity to explore the heart of New Zealand's agricultural industry. LIC Ireland believe that this trip in November 2025 will turn doubt into discovery of their genetics which is paving the way for profitable, grass based systems in New Zealand. The tour of New Zealand is set to commence on Sunday, November 2 from Hamilton in the North Island of New Zealand to Saturday, November 15 in Invercargilll, which is the south of the South Island. The tour is set to include approximately 18 farm visits from breeder farms to commercial farms, and farmers will be exposed to farms with pure Friesian genetics, Kiwi-cross genetics, and pure Jersey genetics. The tour is set to take farmers to LIC's headquarters in Waikato, followed by trips to leading farms and key industry organisations around the country. The LIC headquarters tour will include discussions and presentations from some of the company's lead scientists, geneticists, and breeding advisers, while getting the chance to view many of the bulls up close and personal. The 13-day trip around New Zealand will also include a visit to the Kakahu Charolais farm, a farm that specialises in elite genetics for both Charolais and Angus cattle. Participants will also discover innovative practices, network with experts, and soak up the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. LIC Ireland are urging farmers to not miss out on this unique opportunity to deepen their agricultural knowledge while experiencing the best of New Zealand. Farmers will be exposed to LIC genetics on a larger scale and experience first hand how it is empowering efficiency and profitability on New Zealand farms. LIC Ireland believe that this opportunity will show farmers how focused and targeted these New Zealand farmers' breeding programmes are, and how they are trying to constantly breed for efficient cows. Room options are as follows, and include transport once in New Zealand - including the coach, flight from North Island to South Island, and airport shuttles, as well as accommodation at hotel/motel for 13 nights: Twin share: From €1,700 per person in a twin share room; Single occupancy: From €2,200 per person in own room; Double occupancy: From €3,300 per couple in own room; The prices above exclude the cost of flights to and from New Zealand, all meals and beverages, and any additional activities. There has been a lot of interest in the trip so far and there can only be a maximum of 25 farmers on the trip. Therefore, LIC Ireland believe the trip will eventually be over-subscribed and those hoping to attend may be entered into a draw to choose the final list of attendees.
