Marts: Very strong trade for calf heifers at Markethill Mart, prices to £3200

Heifers

260 heifers included several pens of top quality forward beef heifers.

Good quality forward heifers sold from £280 to £313 per 100 kilos for 512k at £1600 from a Portadown farmer followed by £304 for 600k at £1830 from a Newry producer.

Beef heifers sold up to £302 for 670k at £2020 from a Tandragee producer.

A Banbridge farmer received £301 for 628k at £1890.

All good quality beef heifers from £260 to £294 per 100 kilos.

Good quality grazing heifers sold steadily from £250 to £320 for 450k at £1440 from a Tynan farmer followed by £308 for 448k at £1380 from a Moira producer.

Beef heifers

Tandragee farmer 670k £2020 £302.00; Banbridge farmer 628k £1890 £301.00; Newry farmer 616k £1810 £294.00; Tandragee farmer 710k £2020 £285.00; Newry farmer 640k £1810 £283.00; Ballinaskeagh farmer 616k £1740 £283.00 and Banbridge farmer 628k £1770 £282.

Forward heifers

Portadown farmer 512k £1600 £313.00; Newry farmer 620k £1830 £304.00; Portadown farmer 528k £1590 £301.00; Armagh farmer 592k £1770 £299.00; Newry farmer 530k £1550 £293.00; Armagh farmer 572k £1670 £292.00; Moira farmer 514k £1500 £292.00 and Portadown farmer 510k £1480 £290.

Middleweight heifers

Tynan farmer 450k £1440 £320.00; Moira farmer 448k £1380 £308.00; Tandragee farmer 490k £1490 £304.00; Keady farmer 430k £1240 £288.00; Rathfriland farmer 476k £1370 £288.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 468k £1340 £286.00 and Newtownhamilton farmer 470k £1340 £285.

Bullocks

250 bullocks returned a steady demand with good quality forward bullocks from £260 to £321 for 524k at £1680 from a Magheralin producer.

The same owner received £313 for 502k at £1570 and £312 for 538k at £1680.

A Ballynahinch farmer received £313 for 508k at £1590.

Good quality middleweights sold steadily to £350 for 454k at £1580 from a Ballynahinch farmer.

A Benburb producer received £333 for 406k at £1350 and £323 for 424k at £1370.

All good quality grazing bullocks sold from £250 to £310 per 100 kilos.

Friesian bullocks sold to £228 for 618k at3 1410 from a Glenanne farmer followed by £226 for 518k at £1170 from a Coalisland farmer.

All good quality Friesians from £195 to £216 per 100 kilos.

Forward bullocks

Magheralin farmer 524k £1680 £321.00; Ballynahinch farmer 508k £1590 £313.00; Magheralin farmer 502k £1570 £313.00; Magheralin farmer 538k £1680 £312.00; Magheralin farmer 510k £1570 £308.00; Magheralin farmer 510k £1570 £308.00; Magheralin farmer 548k £1680 £307.00; Magheralin farmer 536k £1630 £304.00; Magheralin farmer 544k £1640 £302.00; Magheralin farmer 578k £1740 £301.00; Magheralin farmer 540k £1620 £300.00 and Magheralin farmer 606k £1800 £297.

Middleweight bullocks

Ballynahinch farmer 454k £1590 £350.00; Benburb farmer 406k £1350 £333.00; Benburb farmer 400k £1320 £330.00; Benburb farmer 424k £1370 £323.00; Armagh farmer 470k £1510 £321.00; Benburb farmer 384k £1230 £320.00; Benburb farmer 384k £1190 £310.00; Belfast farmer 434k £1330 £307.00; Benburb farmer 448k £1370 £306.00 and Armagh farmer 496k £1500 £320.

Friesian bullocks

Glenanne farmer 618k £1410 £228.00; Coalisland farmer 518k £1170 £226.00; Poyntzpass farmer 552k £1190 £216.00; Coalisland farmer 552k £1170 £212.00; Annaghmore farmer 534k £1100 £206.00; Annaghmore farmer 526k £1080 £205.00 and Annaghmore farmer 590k £1200 £203.

Weanlings

330 weanlings sold in a very strong demand from start to finish.

Good quality light males from £280 to £354 for 328k at £1160 from a Portadown farmer.

The same owner received £352 for 318k at £1120 and £348 for 342k at £1190.

Stronger males sold to £329 for 484k at £1590 for a Glenavy farmer.

The same owner received £316 for 468k at £1480.

All good quality lots sold from £250 to £300 per 100 kilos.

Top quality heifer weanlings sold from £250 to £339 for 386k at £1310 from a Ballynahinch farmer.

The same owner received £323 for 378k at £1220.

Strong male weanlings

Glenavy farmer 484k £1590 £329.00; Glenavy farmer 468k £1480 £316.00; Glenavy farmer 410k £1230 £300.00; Glenavy farmer 494k £1480 £300.00; Glenavy farmer 446k £1330 £298.00; Glenavy farmer 406k £1210 £298.00; Markethill farmer 458k £1320 £288.00; Markethill farmer 434k £1250 £288.00 and Markethill farmer 434k £1250 £288.

Light male weanlings

Portadown farmer 328k £1160 £354.00; Portadown farmer 318k £1120 £352.00; Portadown farmer 342k £1190 £348.00; Lurgan farmer 308k £1060 £344.00; Portadown farmer 322k £1100 £342.00; Portadown farmer 344k £1150 £334.00; Portadown farmer 316k £1040 £329.00; Ballynahinch farmer 324k £1050 £324.00 and Ballynahinch farmer 312k £1000 £321.

Heifer weanlings

Ballynahinch farmer 386k £1310 £339.00; Ballynahinch farmer 378k £1220 £323.00; Ballynahinch farmer 330k £1060 £321.00; Ballynahinch farmer 326k £1040 £319.00; Markethill farmer 336k £1060 £316.00; Rathfriland farmer 346k £1080 £312.00; Rathfriland farmer 400k £1230 £308.00; Ballynahinch farmer 374k £1110 £297.00 and Markethill farmer 308k £900 £292.

In the suckler ring a special entry of 35 maiden heifers from a Co Down farmer returned an excellent demand to a top of £1700 with others at £1690, £1620, £1580 and £1570.

Several more sold from £1300 to £1520 each.

Good quality outfits sold to a top of £1930 for a Limousin heifer and bull calf from a Pomeroy producer. The same owner received £1780 for a Charolais heifer with heifer calf.

A special sale of 60 in calf heifers from P Donnelly, Clogher on Thursday 26th September sold in a very strong trade with the sale average £2510 each.

The price of £3200, £3000, £2950 and £2900 were recorded with several more from £2600 to £2850 each.