The autumn-born weanling trade has opened very strongly in the south of the country, with the first big autumn weanling sale taking place in Iveragh Mart on Tuesday this week.

While numbers were back on the corresponding sale in 2024, the trade wasn’t, with some big prices being paid for heavy weanlings.

It was all about the export trade, with four of the country’s leading exporters in attendance buying weanlings for export.

Weanlings were up €2/kg on the corresponding sale in 2024, with over 60% of the weanlings in the sale selling for over €2,000/head.

While it’s early in the season, the mood music is good around the weanling trade, with weanling exports set to double between 2024 and 2025.

The cattle trade in general this week took a lift across all categories of stock.

Dry cows continue to be a very solid trade. Top-quality dry cows continue to knock on the door of €4/kg, with the top third coming in at €3.82/kg this week.

Average-quality cows came in at €3.22/kg, while dairy cows are trading for anything from €2.50/kg to €3/kg depending on weight and flesh cover.

Factory agents are anxious for cows, with many topping up weekly supplies with mart purchases.

The other stand-out trade is young calves and reared calves. Reared calves continue to trade at €800 to €1000/head for the tops in the market, with dropped Aberdeen Angus and Hereford calves still making over €500/head.

The export trade for calves shows no signs of easing, with calf exporters continuing to be very active in marts this week.

This week’s Martbids analysis table is dominated by green arrows, always a good sign of the mart trade.

Bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket saw the biggest lift this week, with top-quality bullocks coming in at €4.80/kg, up 31c/kg on the previous week.

Average-quality bullocks in the same weight bracket came in at €4.08/kg, up 14c/kg on the previous week.

Heavy bullocks over 600kg also saw a lift, with top-quality bullocks coming in at €4.28/kg this week.

Heifer rings

It was a similar story in the heifer rings, with lighter heifers in the 350kg to 400kg weight bracket seeing better demand this week.

Top-quality heifers came in at €4.67/kg this week, up 17c/kg on the previous week.

Weanling bulls met a great trade in the last seven days, with top-quality bulls in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket hitting €5.81/kg last week, up 37c/kg on the previous week.

Heavier bull weanlings in the 400kg to 450kg weight bracket were also up, with the best coming in at €5.63/kg, up 46c/kg on the previous week.

Farmers are being priced out of the market at the moment in terms of weanling purchases and you wonder where the good-quality store bullock will come out of for grazing in 2026.

Lighter weanling heifers were the highlight in the heifer weanling rings, with average-quality weanling heifers coming in at €4.56/kg this week, up 29c/kg on the previous week.