First sales of year see Mayo marts off to a flyer

BALLA Mart saw a fairly big sale for the first sale of the year on Saturday. The year got off to a great start with a ‘serious’ trade that was unreal at times, especially for the fancy coloured breeding heifers that ticked all the boxes and were the real deal.

Bullocks 300kg to 400kg were well up on previous sales and averaged €3.22/kg. Store bullocks 400kg to 500kg averaged €2.73/kg while heavier bullocks 500kg averaged €2.86/kg. Quality heavy bullocks 600kg plus were making between €1,100 to €1,300 with their weight.

A CHX bullock weighing 625kg made €1,900 (€3.04/kg) and one 590kg sold for €1,860 (€3.15/kg). A lighter LMX weighing 485kg made €1,580 (€3.26/kg).

Heifers were selling very well with all averages over €3/kg and any BBX breeding types got a good price.

Lighter store heifers 300kg to 400kg averaged €3.41/kg, heifers 400kg to 500kg averaged €3.08/kg, while stock 500kg plus averaged €3.01/kg.

A Belgian Blue heifer born May '23 and weighing in at 365kg made €3,000 (€8.22/kg), sold by a farmer from Shrule. Another smashing BBX heifer born March '23 and weighing 445kg made €3,020 (€6.79/kg), sold by the same farmer.

It was a good sale for dry cows with over 100 lots. One 875kg Limousin dry cow made €2,560 (€2.62/kg) while another 1000kg AA made €2,620.

In the springers, a farmer from Ballyvary had a Limousin that sold for €2,250.

Weanlings were sold after the bullocks and exporters as well as farmers did the buying.

Bull weanlings 200kg to 350kg averaged €3.22/kg, those 350kg to 450kg averaged €3.05/kg while stock 450kg plus averaged €2.87/kg. The best was a BBX, 350kg, selling for €1,510 (€4.31/kg) for the export trade.

There will be a dispersal sale of 23 cows including four PB Charolais cows calving February to April by a Meelick, Swinford, farmer next Saturday.

Booking is as usual for next Saturday's sale on Wednesday at 9.30 a.m. for bullocks and heifers, and cows can be booked at 11 a.m. Weanlings can be booked on Thursday on the same number - 0818 301 401.

BALLINROBE MART

Ballinrobe Mart has extended sincere gratitude to everyone who supported the charity raffle for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. Through your generosity, they successfully raised €2,500 over the end of year sales.

Despite a smaller audience, the cow trade remained robust during the first sale of 2024. The top price was achieved by a SIX cow weighing 825kg and selling for €1,930.

The average price for cows weighing 500kg plus stood at €1,517. The overall average price per kilogram for cows was €2.20, with a high of €2.68/kg.

A notable collection of heifers was presented on a frosty morning. The highest price for heifers was €1,640, obtained by a LMX weighing 580kg, equating to €2.83/kg.

The average price for heifers weighing 500kg and above was €1,370. Heifers in the 400kg to 500kg range averaged €1,085, or €2.48/kg.

The mart saw an impressive turnout of over 500 sheep for the first sale of the year on January 11.

Approximately 300 lambs were on offer, showcasing a diverse range of quality and weight.

Prices for lambs ranged from €50 to €158, with the latter achieved by 56kg lambs.

The average price for lambs settled at €115. Higher quality lambs in the 45 kilo to 56 kilo range commanded prices between €146 and €158.

The maximum price per kilo reached €3.22, with an overall average of €2.85/kg.

Cull ewes were traded within the range of €66 to €142.

In-lamb ewes, particularly top quality second and third crop ewes carrying couples fetched €180.