Mart trade continues to develop, with many sales yards reporting voter turnouts for the season that were well above expectations in the past week.
A Cause Due to the exceptionally strong trade, especially with forward and cattle species, sellers decide to transport cattle much earlier than usual.
Another factor is that sellers are aware that The majority of those who sold stocks but were unable to buy back before July 1 due to possible BEAM penalties are now out of purgatory and eager to get back into the game.
I also believe that there could be a fundamental change in the way beef is processed in this country.
As people regularly get on and off different rearing and fattening systems, there appear to be an increasing number of fattening pigs who have chosen to abandon their traditional weaning / storage systems in favor of beef.
The reason is simple: costs. The shop you buy in the fall, which only gets silage for the winter followed by good spring grass, has a relatively low cost.
It doesn’t get really expensive until you decide to force them to put meat on their backs.
Eating is an obvious cost, but you also don’t grow good quality weed for free. Like the dairy cow, your fattened steer always needs fresh grass – and the older he gets, the more picky and wasteful he becomes.
My late father used to say, “The rancher has the same costs as a milkman. The only difference is that when the milkman wants to control his livestock, he brings them to his yard. And while they’re there, he milks them, and that’s the lucrative end of the business. “
With the development of specialized feedlot systems, some of these more traditional fattening farms have realized that by selling a good forward bull to larger, more cost-effective farms, they have a better chance of profit for the finisher.
This avoids the hassle and unpredictability of the finishing game. It is another step away from agriculture and towards the industrialization of Irish beef production.
Did the increase in numbers last week dampen prices? Definitely not on the ox side, but larger numbers of heifers drove their prices down.
Most affected were heifers over 600 kg, which decreased by 11c / kg to 2.36 € / kg, a decrease from 66 € / hour, but still at 1,416 € / hour.
The heifer with 500-599 kg remained stable at 2.31 € / kg, while your lighter heifer slipped by 10 to 20 € / hour.
On the bull side, the biggest gains were at the lighter end, with 350-399 kg 18-24 € / h stronger.
In addition, the market held up with only modest improvements.
Aside from that, who could have predicted how 2021 would be? Twelve months ago, the total prices on our table this week were from 1.94 € / kg for the 600kg + ox to 2.04 € / kg in the 400-499kg range.
Today they are at € 2.34 and € 2.22 / kg: increases of € 240 and € 72-108 / h. And think of all the ink used by those who confidently predicted disaster after Brexit.
All about the markets
Ballymahon
This was a good sale with a large number of heifers. The prices for these heifers were mainly sold from 2.50 to 2.80 € / kg, with the two top calls fetching a 320 and 400 kg Limousin with 2.94 and 2.95 € / kg respectively.
On the ox side, most of them made € 2.30-2.50 / kg, the peaks € 2.90 / kg.
There did not appear to be any quality assurance or movement issues, with some heavy steers weighing 660-750 kg and five movements totaling € 2.25-2.36 / kg.
Cows for slaughter cost an average of € 1.70-2.40 / kg.
Cahir
Jonathan O’Sullivan reported serious demand and strong prices, particularly in Aberdeen Angus stocks.
The samples included six with 452 kg with an average of € 1,100 / hour, another six Angus with 426 kg also make € 1,100 / hour, while six with 420 kg € 1,040 / hour.
Good quality Frisian oxen are sold from € 2.00 to € 2.15 / kg.
Among the heifers, eight Angus weighing 418 kg were sold for € 990 / hour, while two individual animals weighing 555 kg and 575 kg brought in € 1,370 and € 1,410, respectively. A single Hereford heifer weighing 486 kg sold for € 1,100, while five average 397 kg fetched € 930 / hour.
Ballin robe
Smaller numbers, but the prices were kept well, that was the story.
Among the heifers, 610-635 kg Limousins made € 2.36-2.43 / kg and a 420 kg Charolais made € 2.67 / kg.
In the lighter section, the top call saw a 325 kg Charolais at 3.05 € / kg, followed by a 370 kg Charolais at 2.97 € / kg.
The top call on the ox side saw a 385 kg blond Aquitaine Cross at € 2.70 / kg, while at the heavier end a 615 kg Charolais was best seen, which was sold for € 2.47 / kg.
On the old cow side, an 860 Angus Cross came to € 1,700.
Dowra
A larger sale that follows the trend of increasing numbers of heavy oxen and cows for slaughter.
Due to demand from factories and feedlots, many of these better heavy and forward-facing steers reached € 2.50 to € 2.70 / kg.
The top cow earned 2.40 € / kg, the total run 2.10-2.30 € / kg.
The competition between farmers for lighter shops costs the engine well at 2.50 to 2.70 € / kg, with the better weaning bulls amounting to up to 3.10 € / kg.
Skibbereen
A strong trade, especially for all beef, with farmers laying an equally strong floor under the lovely continental shop.
Bullocks sold from € 430-1,057 / hd over € / kg, with three 753 kg Limousins making € 2.40 / kg while one 440 kg Charolais cost € 2.84 / kg.
On the old cow side, the good Continental made € 2.00-2.20 / kg. Heifers earned € 350-1,035 / hd over weight, with an Angus weighing 525 kg at € 2.40 / kg being among the top performers.
Among the weaning bulls, five with 340 kg made 900 € / hour, three 310 kg Charolais brought 760 € / hour and seven 321 kg Angus were sold for 720 € / hour.
Ennis
A strong offer last Thursday with 600 copies on display. Trade was strong across all sections, especially between forward and beef varieties.
The outstanding prizes on the heavy ox side included a 785 kg Charolais at € 2.67 / kg, a 710 kg Limousin at € 2.80 / kg and four 700 kg Frisians at € 2.13 / kg.
Among the lighter oxen there were three 488 kg Charolais at € 2.76 / kg, two 460 kg Limousins at € 3.06 / kg and two 505 kg Charolais at € 2.95 / kg.
On the heifer side, everything made of quality 2.40-3.00 € / kg.
Castlerea
Trade is getting stronger, and again, it wasn’t just about the price of beef. Granted. They had heavy oxen of 620 kg and more, which resulted in over 3 € / kg and more than 900 kg slaughter cows with 2.31 € / kg; But you still can’t beat your regular farmer when it comes to burning money.
A 580 kg Charolais ox at € 3.19 / kg; a 485 kg Limousin at € 2.72 / kg and a 340 kg Charolais at € 3.38 / kg. Weaned bulls also made good progress, with peaks reaching € 3.32 / kg, while weaned heifers peaking at € 3 / kg.