Suckler ring saw cows selling to £1720 at Markethill Mart

Trade in all rings remain very firm.

Heifers

220 heifers sold in another very strong demand with good quality forward heifers selling steadily from £220 to £257 per 100 kilos for 504k at £1295 from a Derrynoose farmer followed by £244 per 100 kilos for 560k Char at £1365 from a Markethill producer. A Loughgall farmer received £238 per 100 kilos for 598k at £1425.

Beef heifers sold to £238 per 100 kilos for 624k at £1485 from a Poyntzpass farmer. The same owner received £235 per 100 kilos for 648k at £1525.

Main demand for good quality beef heifers from £210 to £230 per 100 kilos.

Good quality middleweight heifers sold from £220 to £253 per 100 kilos for 386k at £975 from a Sixmilecross farmer followed by £245 per 100 kilos for 450k at £1105 from a Kilkeel producer.

Forward heifers

Derrynoose farmer 504k £1295 £257.00; Markethill farmer 560k £1365 £244.00; Loughgall farmer 598k £1425 £238.00; Middletown farmer 530k £1255 £237.00; Loughgilly farmer 590k £1395 £236.00; Markethill farmer 566k £1335 £236.00; Armagh farmer 510k £1195 £233.00 and Kilkeel farmer 510k £1185 £232.

Beef heifers

Poyntzpass farmer 624k £1485 £238.00; Poyntzpass farmer 648k £1525 £235.00; Markethill farmer 630k £1445 £229.00; Portadown farmer 616k £1405 £228.00; Poyntzpass farmer 656k £1495 £228.00; Middletown farmer 608k £1385 £228.00 and Markethill farmer 658k £1495 £227.

Middleweight heifers

Sixmilecross farmer 386k £975 £253.00; Kilkeel farmer 450k £1105 £245.00; Tandragee farmer 442k £1075 £243.00; Derrynoose farmer 464k £1115 £240.00; Keady farmer 376k £895 £238.00; Derrynoose farmer 466k £1095 £235.00; Loughgilly farmer 428k £985 £230.00 and Sixmilecross farmer 428k £985 £230.

Bullocks

220 bullocks continued to sell in an excellent demand.

Good quality beef bullocks sold to £227 per 100 kilos for 686k Aberdeen Angus at £1555 from a Glenanne producer.

The same owner also received £227 per 100 kilos for 676k at £1535.

Top price of £1775 was paid for a 786k Aberdeen Angus £226 from a Newtownhamilton producer.

All good quality beef bullocks sold from £210 to £221 per 100 kilos.

Good quality forward feeding bullocks sold from £220 to £254 per 100 kilos for 530k at £1345 from a Dromara farmer followed by £247 per 100 kilos for 508k at £1255 from an Armagh producer.

Good quality middleweights sold from £215 to £277 per 100 kilos for 460k at £1275 from a Keady producer followed by £246 per 100 kilos for 458k at £1125 from an Armagh farmer.

Good quality Friesian bullocks sold to £195 per 100 kilos for 504k at £985 from a Tandragee farmer and up to £1115 for 618k £180 from a Hillsborough farmer.

A Ballynahinch producer received £183 per 100 kilos for 582k at £1065.

Forward bullocks

Dromara farmer 530k £1345 £254.00; Armagh farmer 508k £1255 £247.00; Keady farmer 506k £1235 £244.00; Armagh farmer 574k £1385 £241.00; Keady farmer 508k £1225 £241.00; Belleek farmer 530k £1275 £241.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 582k £1395 £240.00; Keady farmer 524k £1255 £240.00 and Keady farmer 536k £1275 £238.

Beef bullocks

Glenanne farmer 676k £1535 £227.00; Glenanne farmer 686k £1555 £227.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 786k £1775 £226.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 682k £1510 £221.00; Clough farmer 654k £1435 £219.00 and Clough farmer 674k £1465 £217.

Middleweight bullocks

Keady farmer 460k £1275 £277.00; Armagh farmer 458k £1125 £246.00; Keady farmer 404k £985 £244.00; Portadown farmer 402k £975 £243.00; Portadown farmer 498k £1185 £238.00; Belleek farmer 488k £1155 £237.00; Portadown farmer 434k £995 £229.00; Dromara farmer 450k £1025 £228.00 and Keady farmer 484k £1100 £227.

Friesian bullocks

Tandragee farmer 504k £985 £195.00; Hillsborough farmer 582k £1065 £183.00; Hillsborough farmer 582k £1065 £183.00; Hillsborough farmer 584k £1065 £182.00; Newry farmer 510k £925 £181.00; Hillsborough farmer 618k £1115 £180.00; Katesbridge farmer 526k £925 £176.00 and Dungannon farmer 524k £915 £175.

Weanlings

A record breaking entry of 460 weanlings continued to sell in an exceptionally strong demand with the large entry having no negative impact on trade.

Good quality light male weanlings sold to a top of £345 per 100 kilos for 348k Charolais at £1200 for a Kilkeel farmer.

The same owner received £324 per 100 kilos for 358k blue at £1160.

All top quality light males sold from £280 to £316 per 100 kilos.

Strong male weanlings sold to £293 per 100 kilos for 416k Belgian Blue a £1220 from a Kilkeel farmer followed by £286 per 100 kilos for 402k Charolais at £1150 for an Armagh producer.

Main demand for strong males from £220 to £266 per 100 kilos.

Light heifer weanlings sold to £308 per 100 kilos for 234k at £720 from a Portadown farmer followed by £305 for 292k Limousin at £890 from a Dungannon farmer.

All good quality light heifers from £230 to £294 per 100 kilos.

Strong heifer weanlings sold to £343 per 100 kilos for 430k at £1480 from a Portadown farmer.

All good quality lots from £220 to £254 per 100 kilos.

Strong male weanlings

Kilkeel farmer 416k £1220 £293.00; Armagh farmer 402k £1150 £286.00; Richhill farmer 440k £1170 £266.00; Portadown farmer 416k £1090 £262.00; Belleek farmer 416k £1080 £260.00; Rathfriland farmer 448k £1150 £257.00; Armagh farmer 430k £1080 £251.00; Castlewellan farmer 424k £1060 £250.00 and Richhill farmer 428k £1060 £248.

Light male weanlings

Kilkeel farmer 348k £1200 £345.00; Kilkeel farmer 358k £1160 £324.00; Loughgall farmer 290k £915 £316.00; Kilkeel farmer 388k £1190 £307.00; Rathfriland farmer 374k £1140 £305.00; Loughgall farmer 280k £850 £304.00; Rathfriland farmer 234k £710 £304.00; Loughgall farmer 286k £860 £301.00 andLoughgall farmer 324k £950 £293.

Strong heifer weanlings

Portadown farmer 430k £1480 £343.00; Armagh farmer 410k £1040 £254.00; Keady farmer 420k £990 £236.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 406k £940 £232.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 460k £1050 £228.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 482k £1080 £224.00; Cullyhanna farmer 484k £1080 £223.00; Portadown farmer 422k £940 £223.00 and Newtownhamilton farmer 472k £1040 £220.

Light heifer weanlings

Portadown farmer 234k £720 £308.00; Dungannon farmer 292k £890 £305.00; Craigavon farmer 242k £730 £302.00; Craigavon farmer 276k £810 £294.00; Portadown farmer 278k £800 £288.00; Portadown farmer 252k £720 £286.00; Cullyhanna farmer 328k £880 £269.00; Portadown farmer 304k £810 £266.00 and Dungannon farmer 344k £910 £265.

In the suckler ring cow/calves sold to a top of £1720 for a Limousin heifer with heifer calf for an Armagh farmer followed by £1580 for a Fleckvieh cow and heifer calf for a Portadown farmer.

Several more outfits sold from £1200 to £1460 each.