Mart trade: Cull cows reach €4,320 and 700kg bullocks clear €5/kg
While heavy cattle prices are taking the headlines, the prices paid for lighter store cattle on a per-kilo basis and for calves across the board are also reaching record highs.
Agriland caught up with mart managers from around the country to hear how cattle prices have been faring at marts in recent days.
Cull cows reach €4,320 at Ballybay
Speaking to Agriland, manager of Ballybay Mart in Co. Monaghan, Jimmy Reilly said cull cow prices at the weekly sale on Saturday, May 24, reached €4,320 or €4.40/kg for 'a super 980kg 2018-born Belgian Blue' that was purchased by a factory supplier.
There were 115 cull cows in the sale on Saturday and 120 the week before ,with a lot of continental cows present. The mart manager noted that cull bulls have been crossing €4,000 at the sale in the last few weeks also.
Reilly said: 'That wasn't the top price per kilo in the cow sale either – we had a 670kg Limousin cow 2017-born that made €3,060 or €4.57/kg.'
The mart manager noted that 'in some cases, cull cows are making every bit as much as bullocks and heifers'.
'Friesian cull cows are making good money also with a 430kg Friesian cow making €1,610 or €3.74/kg.'
In the calf trade, Reilly said that calf prices have continued to rise with February-born calves making up to €790 on Saturday and younger summer calves making up to €685/head for a Simmental-cross bull calf.
Mart trade at Carnew: 700kg bullock makes €5/kg
In Carnew Mart, Co. Wicklow, on Saturday, May 24, heavy cattle surpassed €5.00/kg. Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Carnew Mart's Eugene Clune said: 'One farmer achieved an average price of €4.70/kg for a double-load of cattle in the sale'.
There was a full clearance on the day and cows reached a top price of €4.59/kg for an 806kg Limousin cow that totalled €3,700.
In the bullock sale at Carnew Mart, a 702kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,540 or €5.04/kg with another 720kg Limousin bullock selling for €3,620 or €5.04/kg.
Heifers reached €4.97/kg for a 624kg Parthenaise heifer that totalled €3,100. Three Limousin heifers averaging 530kg made €2,440/head or €4.60/kg.
Weanling bulls made up to €5.52/kg in the sale for two Aubrac bulls weighing 241kg selling for €1,330. Another 308kg Limousin bull made €1,420 or €4.61/kg.
Mart trade at Balla and Thurles
In Thurles Mart, Co. Tipperary, on Monday, May 26, Friesian bullocks made up to €4.33/kg for a batch averaging 326kg/head making €1,410. Angus bullocks in the sale made up to €4.71/kg for three Angus bullocks averaging 325kg that made €1,530.
In Balla Mart, Co. Mayo on Saturday, May 25, it was the breeding heifer prices that took the spotlight.
Two Belgian Blue-cross heifers out of a 'Rocky' stock bull and bred off two super red cows made 8.99/kg and 7.48kg respectively for a farmer from Glasson in Co. Westmeath.
The first was a 740kg Belgian Blue heifer that made €6,650and the other being a 675kg blue heifer that made €5,050 – both bought for breeding.
Another lighter Limousin-cross heifer weighing 320kg made €2,500 or €7.81/kg for a farmer from near Claremorris, Co. Mayo.
Cull cows in the sale peaked at €4,120 for an eight-year-old Limousin cow weighing 970kg.
In the springer sale, there was a three-year-old Limousin cow with a bull calf at foot that made an impressive €5,050. In advance of the sale, the farmer had refused an offer of €3,500 at home.
Bull weanlings weighing from 200-350kg averaged 5.26/kg and weanling bulls weighing from 350-450kg averaged €5.28/kg.
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