Northern buyers boost Ballyjamesduff trade

Ballyjamesduff Mart had over 170 cattle being sold through two rings at the weekly bullock and heifer sale last week.

The weather in the midlands of the country has been improving recently although there are still a lot of shed cattle on offer with trade remaining steady at the marts.

There was a large show of continental cattle, with Charolais and Limousin-cross cattle dominating the sale. Trade remained steady on Tuesday afternoon with good prices reflecting the high-quality cattle on offer.

Heifers

There was a good display of heifers at Tuesdays sale with just over 80 lots going through the mart ring. Heifers between 300kg to 400kg averaged a price of €2.65/kg such as a Simmental-cross heifer weighing 390kg selling for €1,050 (€2.69/kg).

Stronger cattle between 400kg and 500kg averaged at a price of €2.87/kg, with a Charolais-cross heifer weighing 490kg selling for €1,610 (€3.29/kg).

A high of €3.37/kg was paid for a heifer in this weight category while cattle between 500kg plus averaged a similar price of €2.84/kg such as a Charolais-cross heifer of 790kg securing the top price of the sale at €2,270 (€2.87/kg).

Bullocks

Bullocks were highly sought after once again with bullocks between 200kg to 300kg fetching the top price per kg as animals in this weight bracket were averaging a price of €3.45/kg with a maximum price of €3.79/kg for a Charolais-cross bullock weighing 285kg selling for €1,080. Animals between 300kg and 400kg averaged a price of €2.77/kg, such as a Charolais-cross bullock weighing 305kg selling for €870 (€2.85/kg), with a proportion of stock selling north of €3.40/kg.

Those in the 400kg to 500kg bracket secured an average price of €3/kg with a 459kg Charolais-cross bullock selling for an impressive €1,800 (€3.92/kg). Bullocks over 500kg averaged a price of €2.81/kg such as a 770kg Hereford-cross selling for €2,130 (€2.77/kg) with the top price of the sale achieved by a 840kg Angus-cross bullock which sold for €2,380 (€2.83/kg).

Ballyjamesduff Mart Manager John Telvin told the Irish Farmers Journal: “Grass cattle will be late to enter marts this year with the delayed turnout. Store cattle in the north remain a strong trade. This is beneficial to us given our close proximity to the border with northern customers and factory buyers at the sales to purchase the heavier stock and cows we have on offer.”