Despite the miserably wet evening outside the doors, Balla Mart held a positive mood around the ring, with sellers taking the opportunity of the buoyant cattle trade across the country to sell weanlings at the spring show and sale.
The trade could be described as positive all round, with all weight brackets of cattle easily averaging over €3/kg.
Bulls were possibly the highlight of the night, with them dominating in numbers, quality and price.
Heavy bulls in particular were a buoyant trade, with no penalty being seen on price per kilo for lots over 400kg to 450kg in weight.
Exporters were extremely active around the ring for quality E and U grading continental bulls, with stiff competition among buyers to secure numbers.
Farmers were more active for Charolais- and Limousin-type bulls with good frame and shape, with breeding-type heifers in particular easily breaching €3.50/kg and above.
Bull weanlings 200kg to 300kg sold to an average of €3.56/kg, with the top third selling at €4.05/kg and the bottom third at a respectable €3.12/kg.
The majority of bulls weighing in at the 300kg to 400kg mark recorded an average price of €3.44/kg, with close to a €1/kg in the difference between the top third and bottom third at €3.91/kg and €2.97/kg respectively.
As mentioned, heavy bulls were not penalised on price per kilo, with bulls weighing 400kg to 450kg averaging €3.99/kg, with a small number of bulls above this weight averaging €4.12/kg.
Heifers
Heifers remained a strong trade, though it was the exceptional lots suitable for breeding which helped maintain the average closer to the bulls.
Heifers weighing 200kg to 300kg averaged €3.30/kg, with a mix of continental types and a small number of dairy-beef crosses in this.
Heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg sold to an average of €3.53/kg, with the top third averaging €4.29/kg and the bottom third averaging €2.89kg.
Non-continental types or those on the lower side of the weight bracket averaged at €2.79/kg, with the top lots suitable for breeding or export averaging €3.81/kg.
Heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg sold to an average of €3.53/kg, with the top third averaging €4.29/kg and the bottom thi3rd averaging €2.89kg.
Heavy heifers weighing from 400kg to 450kg were smaller in number, but consisted of some choice breeding types and averaged €4.22/kg.