The mart trade has seen a near universal easing of price over the last week, with everything bar forward and heavy heifers hit by cuts.

For bullocks and heifers, this comes off the back of solid demand still being seen for finished lots, while agents purchasing for factory feed lots are also active for store cattle in marts, though it’s not translating to any price increases this week.

Heifers have had a few tough weeks of it and, as such, are fairly level to what they were last week, with just lighter store types back slightly, while heavy factory-fit lots are up 8c/kg on average.

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Bullocks have taken a real hit, which has knocked them back to prices of two weeks previous, with average prices for forward and finished lots back 13c/kg.

Talking to a group of finishers this week, all were surprised at the current store trade, with many having bought cattle in the back end of last year only for said cattle to return a minus figure when all inputs were totted up.

Mart managers over the last few weeks also noted that the same buyers were back around the ring this year despite taking a hit on cattle killed.

Beef finishers

The only farmer that I know that takes a bigger risk than the beef finisher is a pig farmer – one year they are seeing thousands in profits a week, while the year after could see them bleeding money.

Beef finishers had a good year in 2025 when selling finished cattle that had been purchased at good value in 2024, only to see this eaten away with high store and low finished cattle prices for the 2025 crop.

One swallow never made a summer regarding the 2025 kill and a second winter of taking a hit with store cattle could see many finishers walk away for good.

On the weanling front, prices have taken a hit, though the variability between marts is much greater.

Cattle quality has slipped in some marts, while those still getting high-quality weanlings into them are still reporting trade to be similar to other weeks and sharper on occasion.

Bulls weighing 200kg to 350kg averaged €5.58/kg, up 21c/kg on last week in Balla Mart on Tuesday, while bull weanlings weighing 350kg to 450kg averaged €5.07/kg, up 8c/kg on last week.

It was noted that bulls over 400kg saw similar prices per head for bulls 100kg lower in liveweight.

Export company Cows.ie was busy this week, with over 1,500 bulls loaded for export on Tuesday, which could have affected trade, with the Westmeath-based exporter likely less active for buying amid the logistics.

Other larger exporters are also set to be loading soon, so with two exporters with empty sheds, it’s hoped by suckler farmers that a last flurry will be seen in the weanling bull ring for the season.

I was in Carrigallen Mart myself this weekend and while the price was ahead of many marts, owing to the high-quality cattle, it was still a shock, as a slippage of 87c/kg was seen for average-quality heifers on the same sale last year.

Quality weanlings have been hit hardest this autumn, a real shame with the effort that goes in to breeding them.