Keep the exports rolling
THE IFA have this week called on Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, to ‘keep the wheels well oiled’ in terms of maintaining a buoyant trade of live animals – and especially weanlings – over the coming months.
According to Connacht IFA Regional Chairman, Tom Turley, a ‘good eye’ needed to be kept on the live export trade to ensure that a build-up of stock didn’t occur similar to 2014.
“We really do need to keep our exports steadily moving through the year and we would like to see the exporters competing strongly for the weanlings over the coming weeks and months,” said Tom Turley.
However the early indications from the weanling sales is that the live exporters are competing strongly, and especially so for the better quality animals.
Gort Mart Manager, Gerry Finnerty told the Farming Tribune that their weanling sale last Friday night had a very strong interest from the main exporters.
“The exporters were competing strongly – very strongly – with farmers for the weanlings. The exporters really wanted to get their hands on the better quality Blue, Charolais and Limousin weanlings,” said Gerry Finnerty.
He listed the following weanling bulls that were snapped up by exporters for ‘big money’: a 515kg Blue for €1,500; a 445kg Limousin for €1,230; a 350kg Limousin for €1,060 and a 290kg Charolais for €975.
“We really had a rousing trade on Friday night and the exporters were in there bidding hard to get quality animals. I think that there is no doubt but that we’re in for a brisk trade for all types of cattle this autumn,” said Gerry Finnerty.
Two of the big players in the Irish cattle export market were reported to have been very active in the ring at Gort on Friday night – James Mallon’s Viastar company from Kells, Co. Meath and Quinn International, Co. Meath.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.