Rising Prices for Dairy Cattle in UK and Ireland Markets

At Gortatlea Mart in County Kerry, Ireland, a recent dairy sale saw limited but strong movement of dairy stock. Among the top sales, a 2017-born Friesian cow weighing 785kg was sold for €2,450, boasting an Economic Breeding Index (EBI) of €71. Other notable transactions included a 2021-born Friesian cross weighing 710kg at €2,290 and a 2021-born Friesian cow with an EBI of €137 at €2,230.

In the UK, the Borderway Monthly Dairy Sale in Carlisle, Cumbria, featured 215 animals with competitive bidding from attendees across 13 counties in Scotland and England. The highlight of the sale was a September-2021-born Errolston Hail Sylvia VG85, which sold for £4,200 (€4,900). This cow, in her third lactation, is currently producing 45kg/day and had a previous output of 12,000kg in her second lactation.

The sale also saw Ashberry Rager Lynne 3 topping the heifer category at £3,800 (€4,434), while Ayrshire cows peaked at £3,000 (€3,500) for Halmyre Urr Ladybird 588. Overall, the average price for Holstein heifers in milk was £2,901 (€3,385), with Holstein cows at £2,790 (€3,255) and in-calf Holstein heifers at £2,419 (€2,822).

Ayrshire cows and heifers in milk averaged £2,366 (€2,760), and Montbeliarde in-calf heifers averaged £2,150 (€2,508). These figures highlight a robust market for dairy cattle in the region.