With only 100 cattle on offer, last Thursday produced the smallest-ever cattle sale at the new Cilin Hill Mart in Kilkenny.
This was mainly due to the last day of the very successful National Ploughing Championships in Cuffesgrange.
Farmers were probably worried about traffic and they reckoned that many of the buyers would not be in attendance at the mart for the same reason.
Still, there were a number of very respectable prices obtained for the small number of cattle that were sold, but market trands could not be accurately determined as a result.
However, now that the weather is far dryer than for the past few months the prospects for cattle are quite positive and a big sale is expected at Kilkenny today. It is believed that cattle will be scarcer over the next few weeks and prices will be good. Factories will not now have the weather as an excuse for cutting the price of cattle as has been the situation in the recent past. Overall the outlook looks brighter.
Bullocks
The bullocks weighing over 600kg made between €420 and €820 over their weight. A Belgian Blue weighing 840kg sold for €1,660. The bullocks weighing over 500kg were sold between €270 and €400 over their weight, while the bullocks weighing between 400kg and 500kg were priced between €250 and €380 also over their weight. The Bullocks weighing under 400kg fetched between €240 and €350 over their weight.
Heifers
The butcher heifers sold between €300 and €405 over their weight, while the store heifers were priced between €200 and €300 also over their weight.
Culled cows
There was a small number of culled cows on offer, but still they sold very well with the continental types making between €200 and €465 over their weight. As usual the Freisian types did not do as well sellling from €100 under their weight to €300 over.
Still, a successful sale for the small number of cattle that were on offer.
