By the end of September, the total number of cattle traded across Ireland reached 2,435,011 – just 1,333 fewer than in the same period last year. While the overall numbers for the country remain stable, Connacht is the only region to show decreases in both categories.
Mart sales in the province dropped by 3,663 to 242,491 and farm to farm movements fell by 4,659 to 135,330.
This contrasts with the rest of the country, where strong mart prices likely contributed to an overall increase in mart sales by 38,362, nearly balancing the 39,695 drop in farm to farm transactions.
Elsewhere, Ulster saw an increase in farm-to-farm trades by 3,688, with mart sales up by 1,804. Munster and Leinster followed a similar pattern of falling farm-to-farm transactions, but significant rises in mart sales helped stabilise their cattle trading numbers.
However, in Connacht, the decline in both mart and private sales has caused concern.
Farm to farm sales figures for 2023 vs 2024 by province
Brendan Egan of Castlerea Mart in Roscommon believes this was “inevitable,” given what he claimed was the pressure from various schemes that he said aim to reduce suckler numbers, citing the surge in organic farming as an example.
He added that many farmers in the region have shifted towards rearing Hereford and Angus calves instead.
In other regions, farmers are increasingly seeing the benefits of bringing their cattle to the marts.
George Chandler, Mart Manager in Kilkenny, noted that many sellers now realise the value of the competition that marts provide, especially with the rise in online bidding.
Maurice Brosnan of Gortatlea Mart in Kerry pointed out that more forward and beef cattle are being brought to the marts, with sellers viewing it as a preferred alternative to factories or private sales.
