Exceptionally strong trade for cattle at Markethill Mart, beef bred cows to £1760

Trade was exceptionally strong with top quality bull calves selling to £585 for a three week old Charolais, followed by £540 and £530 for a six week Charolais bulls.

All top quality bulls sold steadily from £350 to £480 each.

Second quality from £240 - £300 each.

Good quality heifer calves reached £435 for Simmental and for a Hereford.

All good quality heifer calves from £340 - £425.

Plainer types from £180 - £280 each.

A good entry of reared calves sold to a top of £930 for a Belgian Blue for a Keady producer. The same owner sold reared Aberdeen Angus at £890, £850 and £820 several more sold from £660 - £800.

Heifer calves sold for £710 for a Belgian Blue from a Dungannon farmer, followed by £680 for a Limousin from a Loughgall producer.

The cull cow trade was exceptionally strong with Friesian cows in particularly good demand. Fleshed Friesians sold to £194/100k for 680k at £1320 from an Armagh farmer, followed by £187/100k for 724k at £1350 from a Markethill producer.

All good quality fleshed Friesian cows sold from £160 - £184/100k, second quality from £130 - £150/100k and the plainer types from £110 - £125/100k.

Beef bred cows sold to £269/100k for 710k at £1920 for a Cullyhanna producer.

The same owner received £264/100k for 910k at £2400 and a Tassagh farmer received £256/100k for 648k at £1660, followed by £252/100k for 698k at £1760.

Main demand from £210 - £243/100k.

Bulls sold up to £227/100k for 980k at £2240 from a Glenanne farmer.

Cull cows

Cullyhanna producer 714k £1920 £269/100k: 910k £2400 £264/100k:Tassagh producer 648k £1660 £256/100k: 698k £1760 £252/100k: Tandragee producer 714k £1750 £245/100k: Tassagh producer 650k £1580 £243p/k: Tandragee producer 690k £1620 £235/100k and Magheralin producer 820k £1920 £234/100k.

Friesian cows

Armagh producer 680k £1320 £194/100k: Markethill producer 724k £1350 £187/100k: 678k £1250 £184/100k: Armagh producer 682k £1250 £183/100k: Markethill producer 742k £1280 £173/100k: Banbridge producer 690k £1110 £161/100k and Warrenpoint producer 688k £1090 £159/100k.

Bull calves

Charolais £585: Charolais £540: Charolais £530: Belgian Blue £500: Charolais £500: Belgian Blue £500: Charolais £480 and Limousin £470.

Heifer calves

Simmental £435: Hereford £435: Limousin £430: Belgian Blue £425: Simmental £415: Charolais £410: Belgian Blue £400 and Belgian Blue £400.