Has ‘The Ploughing’ reached its peak? Kilkenny agri expert asks

The ploughing championships are over for another year and for the first time in at least 15 years I did not get there.

The unsettled weather meant a reduction in numbers especially on the final day but almost 250,000 descended on Screggan in Offaly.

The decrease in numbers is understandable firstly the weather was not settled and a few weeks before that the National Livestock Show in Tullamore attracted over 60,000 people.

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Livestock was always a big attraction so with a limited number of animals appearing at the ploughing championship people chose the earlier event.

Even allowing for that it is still a great event but perhaps it has reached its peak. All going well I hope to visit again next year to check what I missed this year.

Sheep
On events here in Kilkenny mart, Monday attracted 500 sheep with the trade showing an increase of €3 to €8 per head compared to last week.

The heavy lambs were in short supply but meet a good solid trade with a top call of €214.

Ram lambs are been discounted so it might be worth considering if you are a farmer that is a late producer of lambs to castrate these animals at a younger age. The want for ram lambs centres around Muslim festivals which normally end in June.

Store lambs are selling well with perhaps not the same want as we experienced a few weeks ago.

Breeding ewes were in short supply with prices for breeding hoggets ranging from €280 to €310 per head.

We also held our first dairy sale of the autumn which proved disappointing with calved Friesian heifers and cows ranging from €1450 to €2580 per head.
The fact that some of these animals were calved since February and March and were back in calf due April did not encourage potential buyers.

Dairy
Our dairy sales will be held on a fortnightly basis until the end of the year.

Tuesdays have again become busy with cull cows, calves, runners and weanlings been offered for sale. At the moment they sell in one ring but this will change to two when numbers increase

Thursdays sales have produced excellent numbers but this Thursday will give us an indication of numbers going forward. Have we reached the peak?

Trade remains excellent for suckler bred animals with quality bulls ranging from €4.80 to €6 per kilo and heifers ranging from €5.20 to €5.50 per kilo.

This trade is helped by an active export trade for those quality animals.

Plain cattle have seen a decrease in the past three weeks with top call on last Thursday been €3640 for 2 char which weighed 795 kilo.

AA and Hereford types have also showed a decrease but quality lots in this category ranging from €4.10 to €4.50 per kilo.
Remember all animals for Thursdays cattle sale should be entered on 056 7721407 before 3.30pm on the Wednesday.

Planning
My topic for discussion this weeks is the hurdles and hoops that sons and daughters have to go through to try and build a house on their parents’ lands. If we want the younger, talented generation to remain in this country the planning obstacles should be removed. Only this week the Taoiseach called on one of the Dublin borough to remove an objection of a large housing plan. This is a subject that is worth revisiting.
Until next time do be careful on the farm and good buying, good selling and good luck.