Big demand for stores and breeding heifers at Mayo mart
THERE were over 500 lots on offer again this week at Balla Mart and trade remains brisk, with prices up on €5/kg for anything nice. Stores and breeding type heifers were a great trade, with sellers coming from far and wide.
Bullocks 300kg to 400kg were way up and averaged €4.93/kg, stores 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.18/kg, while heavier bullocks 500kg plus averaged €4.33/kg.
A BBX bullock weighing 695kg made €3,350 (€4.85/kg) for a farmer from Castlebar who had six smashing bullocks. Another Charolais, 795kg, bullock made €3,400 (€4.28/kg), bought by northern factory buyers.
Bullock prices included:
295kg CHX €1,670
335kg CHX €2,070
415kg LMX €2,160
595kg LM €2,940
665kg LMX €3,330
795kg CHX €3,400
Prices in the heifers remained strong with the averages well up on last week due to the presence of some smashing cow makers, and those 500kg plus heifers were up by approximately .20c/kg.
Feeding heifers have increased by €1.50/kg approx. on this time last year. Lighter store heifers 300kg to 400kg averaged €4.82/kg, heifers 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.43/kg, and those 500kg plus averaged €4.75/kg.
Heifer prices included:
270kg BBX €1,590
320kg LMX €2,500
470kg CHX €2,440
510kg LMX €3,380
675kg BBX €5,050
740kg BBX €6,650
Two BBX heifers out of a ‘Rocky’ stock bull and two super red cows made €8.99/kg and €7.48kg respectively for an Athlone farmer. A 740kg BBX made €6,650 and another 675kg BBX made €5,050, both bought for breeding.
Another lighter LMX heifer weighing 320kg was sold for €2,500 (€7.81/kg) by a Claremorris farmer.
Cows, as usual, were a good trade and this week there was just over 100 cows. The best was an eight-year-old Limousin cow weighing 970kg that made €4,120 for a Charlestown farmer.
In the springers, a three-year-old Limousin cow with its bull calf at foot made a whopping €5,050 for a Hollymount farmer, who was lucky he didn’t take the €3,500 at home!
Prices were way up for the bulls, with great demand from exporters. All averages were over €5.20/kg. Bull weanlings 200kg to 350kg averaged €5.26/kg, with bulls 350kg to 450kg averaging €5.28/kg.
Bull prices included:
335kg LMX €1,910
395kg LMX €2,370
410kg LM €2,340
Booking on May 28 and 29 for next Saturday's end of month sale on lowcall 0818 301 401.