Agriland caught up with Joe Clune, manager of Sixmilebridge mart in Co. Clare to see how the local trade is holding up.

Clune said they started holding weekly calf sales three weeks ago, and 'it has really took off' since.

Both Clune, and auctioneer Rory Doyle feel the trade is been driven locally, but stated that exports are picking up too.

Clune said prices typically start well and begin to drop off, but noted that this year 'they are staying steady and have actually increased'.

Doyle said strong calves were making up to €600-€700 in the previous sale, and did so again this week.

Calf sale

The Thursday evening calf sale saw large crowds gather as approximately 250 calves went through the ring.

There was a great variety up for grabs, with Friesians, Angus-cross, Hereford-cross, Belgian Blue-cross, Charolais-cross, and Limousin-cross, in the ring.

There was also some more niche breeds in the ring as two Aubrac crosses went up for grabs, as well as a selection of calves that are second and third cross Fleckvieh X Friesian.

The top price for a Friesian bull went to a three-week-old weighing in at 65kg, going under the hammer for €420.

Meanwhile, light Friesian bulls under the 45kg mark did not draw as strong of an appetite, bottoming out at €170/head.

Angus crosses were making up to €600 for strong month-old bull calves weighing in at the 70kg mark.

The Angus sales bottomed out at €300 for a light three week-old heifer calf at 45kg.

An astonishing two week-old Hereford X Friesian bull calf at 80kg went under the hammer for €670.

After him, a male Belgian Blue out of a Friesian weighing 70kg at two-and-a-half weeks made €630.

An 18 day-old Charolais cross calf at 75kg made €700, while two month-old 62kg Limousin cross bulls went for €440/head.

The two Aubrac cross heifers that came into the ring were 60kg at a month-old and sold for €430/head.

The Fleckvieh cross calves made up to €650, with the top seller weighing 65kg at three weeks-of-age.

Calf trade

Doyle said the contrast over the last two years has been massive, with a 'very bad trade' two years ago, while it started poor last year and picked up as the season went on.

He said: "This year they have started so high, can they stay rising like last year?"

Clune is confident in the trade, with buyers struggling to buy store cattle, and opting to rear heavier calves instead.

The mart manager is still confident in the cattle trade, despite pressure on beef prices.

He said getting €8/kilo is not something we have seen before, so the drop makes it 'hard to digest', but hopes it quickly levels out and picks up coming into the summer months.