Marts: Suckler outfits selling to £2040 for a Charolais cow and bull calf at Markethill Mart

Trade in all rings remained exceptionally strong.

Heifers

180 heifers included several pens of top quality forward heifers and beef heifers.

Main demand for good quality feeding heifers from £260 to £313 for 528k at £1650 from a Cullyhanna farmer followed by £307 for 534k at £1640 from a Newtownhamilton farmer.

A Scarva producer received £304 for 566k at £1720.

Beef heifers sold to £272 for 660k at £1800 from an Annaghmore producer.

Middleweight heifers sold to £324 for 470k at £1530 from a Belfast farmer followed by £321 for 498k at £1600 from a Ballynahinch producer.

All good quality grazing heifers from £260 to £304 per 100 kilos.

Beef heifers

Annaghmore farmer 662k £1800 £272.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 638k £1700 £267.00; Dromara farmer 618k £1620 £262.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 688k £1800 £262.00; Gilford farmer 612k £1600 £262.00 and Dungannon farmer 614k £1580 £257.

Forward heifers

Cullyhanna farmer 528k £1650 £313.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 534k £1640 £307.00; Tandragee farmer 566k £1720 £304.00; Dungannon farmer 576k £1750 £304.00; Dungannon farmer 586k £1750 £299.00; Cullyhanna farmer 510k £1500 £294.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 594k £1740 £293.00; Dungannon farmer 574k £1670 £291.00 and Cullyhanna farmer 566k £1620 £286.

Middleweight heifers

Belfast farmer 472k £1530 £324.00; Ballynahinch farmer 498k £1600 £321.00; Katesbridge farmer 500k £1550 £310.00; Katesbridge farmer 480k £1460 £304.00; Newry farmer 494k £1500 £304.00; Castlewellan farmer 418k £1250 £299.00; Cullyhanna farmer 398k £1190 £299.00; Belfast farmer 372k £1080 £290.00; Newry farmer 482k £1400 £291.00 and Cullyhanna farmer 404k £1170 £290.

Bullocks

160 bullocks maintained a very firm demand.

Good quality forward bullocks from £260 to £326 for 506k at £1650 from a Tassagh farmer followed by £320 for 556k at £1780 from a Cullyhanna producer.

Main demand from £260 to £310 per 100 kilos.

Beef bullocks sold up to £288 for 670k at £1930 from a Ballinderry farmer.

The same owner received £275 for 740k at £2040 and for 640k at £1770.

Middleweight bullocks sold to £377 for 422k at £1590 from a Tassagh farmer followed by £293 for 420k at £1230 from a Aghalee farmer.

All good quality grazing bullocks from £260 to £292 per 100 kilos.

Forward bullocks

Tassagh farmer 506k £1650 £326.00; Cullyhanna farmer 556k £1780 £320.00; Cullyhanna farmer 558k £1730 £310.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 546k £1660 £304.00; Tassagh farmer 544k £1650 £303.00; Tassagh farmer 566k £1700 £300.00; Tassagh farmer 556k £1650 £297.00 and Moira farmer 520k £1520 £292.

Beef bullocks

Ballinderry farmer 670k £1930 £288.00; Ballinderry farmer 742k £2040 £275.00 and Ballinderry farmer 644k £1770 £275.

Middleweight bullocks

Tassagh farmer 422k £1590 £377.00; Aghalee farmer 420k £1230 £293.00; Glenanne farmer 438k £1280 £292.00; Tassagh farmer 490k £1430 £292.00; Belfast farmer 446k £1290 £289.00; Gilford farmer 478k £1380 £289.00; Aghalee farmer 494k £1410 £285.00; Gilford farmer 452k £1290 £285.00; Cullyhanna farmer 410k £1150 £281.00 and Belfast farmer 450k £1260 £280.

Weanlings

330 weanlings sold in another very strong demand.

Good quality light males selling to £398 for 274k at £1090 from a Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer.

A Newry producer received £377 for 284k at £1070 and a Belleek farmer received £374 for 316k at £1180.

Main demand from £300 to £366 per 100 kilos for good quality light males.

Stronger males sold up to £1660 for 536k £310 from a Richhill farmer followed by £1570 for 524k for Richhill farmer £300 per 100 kilos.

Top rate of £389 was paid for 404k at £1570 from a Portadown farmer.

The same owner received £384 for 412k at £1580.

An entry of 70 cull cows at Markethill on Tuesday 7th May continued to sell in an exceptionally strong demand.

Heavy beef bred cows sold to £241 for 810k at £1960 from a Crossmaglen farmer.

The same owner received £238 for 630k at £1500 and £237 for 810k at £1920.

Main demand for good quality cows from £190 to £230 per 100 kilos.

Plainer cattle sold to £248 for 890k Hereford bullock at £2210.

Friesian cows sold to £183 for 868k at £1590 from a Waringstown farmer followed by £176 for 870k at £1540 from a Middletown producer.

All well fleshed Friesians from £155 to £176 per 100 kilos.

Second quality Friesians sold from £125 to £145 and the plainer types from £100 to £120 per 100 kilos.

Bulls sold to a top of £247 for 680k at £1690 followed by £245 for 830k at £2040.

Cull cows

Newry farmer 560k £1390 £248.00; Crossmaglen farmer 812k £1960 £241.00; Crossmaglen farmer 630k £1500 £238.00; Crossmaglen farmer 812k £1920 £237.00; Stewartstown farmer 696k £1600 £230.00; Markethill farmer 610k £1340 £220.00; Stewartstown farmer 652k £1400 £215.00 and Newry farmer 648k £1390 £215.

Friesian cull cows

Waringstown farmer 868k £1590 £183.00; Middletown farmer 874k £1540 £176.00; Waringstown farmer 750k £1320 £176.00; Middletown farmer 788k £1340 £170.00; Waringstown farmer 788k £1340 £170.00; Banbridge farmer 648k £1040 £161.00; Waringstown farmer 660k £1040 £158.00; Armagh farmer 734k £1140 £155.00 and Armagh farmer 672k £1040 £155.

Calves

170 calves sold in an excellent demand with good quality bulls under eight weeks selling from £330 to £470 for a six week old Belgian Blue and for three week old Limousin.

Charolais calves sold up to £450.

Second quality bull calves sold from £200 to £250 each.

Heifer calves sold to £385 for a six week old Simmental followed by £340 and £320 for Belgian Blue.

All good quality heifers from £220 to £260 each.

Plainer types from £150 to £200 each.

Bull calves

Belgian Blue £470; Limousin £470; Charolais £450; Charolais £400; Belgian Blue £390; Aberdeen Angus £385; Belgian Blue £380; Aberdeen Angus £375 and Belgian Blue £370.

Heifer calves

Simmental £385; Belgian Blue £340; Belgian Blue £320; Simmental £260; Simmental £255; Hereford £255 and Limousin £250.

All good quality strong bulls sold steadily from £270 to £370 per 100 kilos.

Light heifer weanlings sold to £390 for 400k at £1560 from a Richhill farmer followed by £381 for 268k at £1020 from a Kilkeel farmer.

A Portadown farmer received £368 for 296k at £1090.

All top quality light heifers sold from £300 to £368 per 100 kilos.

Stronger heifer weanlings sold to £407 for 408k at £1660 from a Portadown farmer followed by £301 for 402k at £1210 from a Tandragee farmer.

Main demand from £250 to £295 per 100 kilos.

Strong male weanlings

Portadown farmer 404k £1570 £389.00; Portadown farmer 412k £1580 £384.00; Portadown farmer 432k £1600 £370.00; Portadown farmer 402k £1320 £328.00; Richhill farmer 424k £1380 £325.00; Richhill farmer 444k £1350 £304.00; Richhill farmer 536k £1660 £310.00 and Richhill farmer 524k £1570 £300.

Light male weanlings

Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 274k £1090 £398.00; Newry farmer 284k £1070 £377.00; Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 316k £1180 £374.00; Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 314k £1150 £366.00; Portadown farmer 342k £1250 £366.00; Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 304k £1100 £362.00; Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 352k £1250 £355.00; Mullabawn farmer 366k £1280 £350.00 and Belleek, Co Fermanagh farmer 308k £1050 £341.

Suckler outfits sold to £2040 for a Charolais cow and bull calf followed by £2020 for a Charolais heifer and heifer calf.