Mart Price Tracker

Waternotsoda wrote: »

I was passing Mount bellew mart this evening and called in. No cattle showed up to be sold. So it was cancelled.

I wouldn't be familiar with mountbellew mart but I don't think it does much of a cattle trade from talking to friends that frequent it. I'm open to correction on that statement but there's plenty of marts in the West that are struggling for numbers every week, a sale being cancelled due to poor turnout isn't unheard of. If the likes of Balla, Dowra or Castlerea start cancelling sales due to no stock then I'd take more notice.

bosallagh88 wrote: »

Waternotsoda wrote: »

I was passing Mount bellew mart this evening and called in. No cattle showed up to be sold. So it was cancelled.

You would think marts in the west would be getting plenty of cattle with the time of year and wet weather where are people heading with cattle instead? Are people finding that weanling prices are holding up fairly well?

It's still relatively early in the trading season imo, the sales will get bigger every week especially if the weather stays broken but it's usually mid October before numbers peak locally. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of cattle on offer in certain marts and plenty more to come. In my opinion there's too many marts in the West and there won't be sufficient throughput for them all moving forward, for every mart doing well there's another just surviving.

As for the weanling trade the divide between good and bad quality stock is ever widening. Good weanlings are as dear as ever and average to plain types are taking a beating, the export market is propping up the trade for the average bull calf but the equivalent heifer calf isn't in any great demand. Without trying to be pessimistic I think the current trade could be, should be and quite possibly will be worse before it gets better unless something​ akin to a miracle occurs regarding the beef trade.

Waternotsoda wrote: »

I know roscommon has heavy charolais. But from the point of view of AA or FRX which mart is best.

Definitely stay away from Roscommon with plain stock, it's not a town for anything only quality cattle. Have you heifers or bullocks/bulls? I'd recommend Castlerea if your wanting to stay in that geographical area, there's always lots of average type stock and corresponding buyers in it any week I'm there. If your prepared to go further north then Drumshanbo or Dowra would both have clients for those sort of stock.

Waternotsoda wrote: »

I tend to go with aax bullocks.

Castlerea is probably as good as any so, I think the bullocks are changing to the Monday sales from this coming Monday but I'm not sure. Anyone see goodish 18 month old continental store bullocks circa 500-550kg sold lately? A man asked me what there worth tonight but I didn't see the like selling in any great numbers lately. Would €2.10-2.30 a kilo be a fair guess?