Top price of £3000 paid at annual spring sale of in calf heifers at Markethill Mart

Heifers

160 heifers included several pens of beef heifers which sold steadily from £260 to £305 for 650k at £1995 paid twice from a Middletown farmer followed by £304 for 650k at £1975 from a Kilkeel farmer.

Good quality forward feeding heifers sold steadily from £260 to £306 for 568k at £1735 from a Kilkeel farmer followed £305 for 566k at £1725 from a Bessbrook farmer followed by £299 for 564k at £1685 from a Aghalee farmer.

Good quality middleweight heifers sold steadily from £260 to £326 for 490k at £1625 from a Rathfriland producer followed by £306 for 424k at £1295 from a Dromara farmer.

The same owner received £305 for 454k at £1385.

Beef heifers

Middletown farmer 654k £1995 £305.00; Middletown farmer 654k £1995 £305.00; Kilkeel farmer 650k £1975 £304.00; Middletown farmer 646k £1935 £300.00; Middletown farmer 692k £2065 £299.00; Middletown farmer 706k £2075 £294.00; Middletown farmer 674k £1935 £287.00; Middletown farmer 686k £1965 £286.00 and Middletown farmer 694k £1985 £286.

Forward heifers

Kilkeel farmer 568k £1735 £306.00; Bessbrook farmer 566k £1725 £305.00; Aghalee farmer 564k £1685 £299.00; Aghalee farmr 566k £1655 £292.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 548k £1595 £291.00; Portadown farmer 528k £1535 £291.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 526k £1525 £290.00 and Portadown farmer 548k £1575 £288.

Middleweight heifers

Rathfriland farmer 498k £1625 £326.00; Dromara farmer 424k £1295 £306.00; Dromara farmer 454k £1385 £305.00; Waringstown farmer 466k £1405 £302.00; Rathfriland farmer 420k £1265 £301.00; Dromara farmer 416k £1225 £295.00; Waringstown farmer 406k £1190 £293.00; Pomeroy farmer 422k £1235 £293.00 and Forkhill farmer 450k £1315 £292.

Bullocks

130 bullocks sold in a very firm trade with beef bullocks to £300 for 704k at £2115 from a Newtownhamilton farmer.

The same owner received £288 for 716k at £2065.

Good quality forward bullocks sold readily from £260 to £329 for 506k at £1665 from a Banbridge farmer.

The same owner received £311 per 100 kilos for 536k at £1665.

Good quality middleweights sold from £250 to £307 for 474k at £1455 from a Belleek farmer followed by £302 498k at £1505 from a Benburb farmer.

A Ballynahinch farmer received £302 for 456k at £1375.

Demand for Friesian bullocks was exceptionally strong to £244 for 782k at £1905 from a Loughbrickland farmer.

The same owner received £241 for 760k at £1835 and £239 for 768k at £1835.

Main demand for good quality friesians from £200 to £230 per 100 kilos.

Beef bullocks

Newtownhamilton farmer 704k £2115 £300.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 716k £2065 £288.00 and Kilkeel farmer 760k £2105 £277.

Forward bullocks

Banbridge farmer 506k £1665 £329.00; Banbridge farmer 536k £1665 £311.00; Cullyhanna farmer 508k £1545 £304.00; Armagh farmer 530k £1595 £301.00; Armagh farmer 518k £1555 £300.00; Cullyhanna farmer 524k £1565 £299.00; Portadown farmer 528k £1575 £298.00 and Belleek farmer 510k £1515 £297.

Middleweight bullocks

Belleek farmer 474k £1455 £307.00; Benburb farmer 498k £1505 £302.00; Ballynahinch farmer 456k £1375 £302.00; Belleek farmer 490k £1465 £299.00; Belleek farmer 496k £1435 £289.00; Tynan farmer 398k £1095 £275.00; Cullyhanna farmer 408k £1100 £270.00 and Armagh farmer 492k £1325 £269.

Friesian bullocks

Loughbrickland farmer 782k £1905 £244.00; Loughbrickland farmer 762k £1835 £241.00; Loughbrickland farmer 768k £1835 £239.00; Loughbrickland farmer 746k £1715 £230.00; Tandragee farmer 548k £1215 £222.00; Tandragee farmer 512k £1075 £210.00 and Scarva farmer 686k £1365 £199.

Weanlings

200 weanlings sold in a excellent trade with good quality light males from £270 to £355 for 304k at £1080 from a Markethill producer.

A Portadown farmer received £344 at 244k at £1040 and a Crumlin farmer received £332 for 328k at £1090.

Stronger males sold from £250 to £291 for 416k at £1210 from a Portadown farmer.

Good quality light heifers sold from £250 to £338 for 272k at £920 from a Markethill farmer. The same owner received £327 for 352k at £1150.

Stronger heifer weanlings sold up to £314 for 414k at £1300 from a Newtownhamilton farmer followed by £307 for 450k at £1380 from a Cullyhanna farmer.

Main demand for good quality forward heifers from £250 to £302 per 100 kilos.

Strong male weanlings

Portadown farmer 416k £1210 £291.00; Portadown farmer 482k £1370 £284.00; Mountnorris farmer 414k £1150 £278.00; Mountnorris farmer 436k £1190 £273.00; Mountnorris farmer 460k £1220 £265.00; Mountnorris farmer 430k £1140 £265.00 and Mountnorris farmer 450k £1180 £262.

Light male weanlings

Markethill farmer 304k £1080 £355.00; Markethill farmer 282k £1000 £355.00; Portadown farmer 244k £840 £344.00; Rathfriland farmer 240k £820 £342.00; Rathfriland farmer 250k £850 £340.00; Markethill farmer 260k £870 £335.00; Crumlin farmer 328k £1090 £332.00; Dungannon farmer 358k £1160 £324.00; Dungannon farmer 356k £1150 £323.00 and Dungannon farmer 314k £990 £315.

Strong heifer weanlings

Newtownhamilton farmer 414k £1300 £314.00; Cullyhanna farmer 450k £1380 £307.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 450k £1360 £302.00; Cullyhanna farmer 464k £1340 £289.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 406k £1160 £286.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 420k £1190 £283.00 and Newtownhamilton farmer 476k £1340 £282.

Light heifer weanlings

Markethill farmer 272k £920 £338.00; Markethill farmer 352k £1150 £327.00; Markethill farmer 380k £1200 £316.0; Markethill farmer 360k £1120 £311.00; Warrenpoint farmer 258k £800 £310.00; Newtownhamilton farmer 306k £930 £304.00; Belleek farmer 250k £770 £308.00; Crumlin farmer 284k £860 £303.00 and Cullyhanna farmer 394k £1170 £297.

The annual spring sale of in calf heifers for R Hadden Dungannon at Markethill on Tuesday 23rd January returned a very firm demand with in calf heifers selling to £3000 for a Simmental followed by £2850 for a Limousin.

A further three heifers sold at £2800 each and two heifers sold at £2750 and several more lots sold from £2400 to £2650 each.

An entry of heifers with calves at foot sold to a top of £2950 for a Simmental heifer and bull calf others sold at £2850, £2800 and £2700 each.