Mart trade: Up to €1,500 paid for suckler-bred calves

There were 850 calves on offer at Castleisland Mart, Co. Kerry, on Monday, May 5, with the mart trade seeing average calf prices edging up again and as high as €1,500 paid for suckler-bred calves.
Speaking to Agriland, mart manager Nelius McAuliffe said: 'Calves are getting dearer every week and that is still the case.'
He said one local farmer sold two suckler-bred calves in the sale with one of the two – a Limousin-cross bull calf making €1,500 – and the other calf making over €1,000.
McAuliffe said that this week's calf sale is up approximately 150 calves on the same sale of last year, and that the number of cattle going through every sale at the mart venue is up this year.
The mart manager said: 'In the first four months of this year, we have sold an additional 2,400 cattle and 5,000 calves'.
He said that Friesian bull calves one-month-of-age made up to €370 while a bunch of Hereford bull calves weighing approximately 85kg sold for €700. He noted that this time last year, €350-400 would have bought the same calves.
While farmer demand is strong this year, export customer demand is also strong and the mart manager said: 'The shipping trade at the sale on Monday was the highest we have seen this year.'
Numbers expected to tighten
Commenting on the trade for older cattle, the mart manager said that the numbers of heavier cattle on offer are back. He said that prices for the non-Quality Assured cattle are 'slightly back' but that in-spec cattle 'are still a great trade'.
The mart manager said that sales have been very big to date this year and expects this month to see numbers tighten.
'I expect May and June this year won't be as big of sales as last year. Last May, we had big sales with the poorer weather and cattle came out for sale later,' McAuliffe said.
'With the numbers of cattle gone through this year, you'd be thinking they have to dry up.'
Overall, the mart manager said that the mood is fairly positive in the cattle trade currently and described the current sentiment as 'good trade, plenty of customers, and very positive'.
Mart trade for cattle at Tuam
Tuam Mart in Co. Galway hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Monday, May 5, with dry cows making up to €3,200 for an 800kg Limousin cow.
Another 725kg Limousin cow made €4.30/kg or €3,120, while a lighter 650kg Salers cow sold for €2,650 or €4.08/kg.
In the heifer sale, prices peaked at €3,220 or €4.38/kg for a 735kg Angus heifer, with a lighter 405kg Shorthorn heifer selling for €4.30/kg or €1,740. Another 450kg Angus heifer sold for €1,780 or €3.96/kg.
In the bullock sale, store cattle prices reached almost €5/kg with €4.95/kg or €2,300 paid for three 465kg Angus bullocks.
Two Limousin bullocks weighing 452kg sold for €2,220 or €4.91/kg and a heavier 680kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,200 or €4.71/kg.

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RTÉ News​

a day ago

• RTÉ News​

How secure is your banking app?

Mobile banking is one of the most popular internet activities in Ireland. During the first six months of last year, 87% of internet users used internet banking or mobile banking, according to the Central Statistics Office. This trend tells us that many people now use their phones to manage their accounts and make payments. But fraudulent payments are a growing concern in Europe, especially in the rapidly evolving digital marketplace. Earlier this year, the Central Bank of Ireland published a new Behind the Data (BTD) paper on Irish payment fraud statistics. However, there are no stats to identify how many scams or frauds happen specially through interactions with apps. Head of Financial Crime with Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) Niamh Davenport warns that app scams usually happen because a phone or device has been hacked. "Everyone thinks they're banking app scams, it's generally your phone that has been compromised rather than the app itself," said Ms Davenport. "Summer last year is probably the first time we really saw app scams come into force and they're still low volume in Ireland from what members are telling us, but they're only going to increase," she said. In March, the BPFI hosted the first Cross-Sector Anti-Fraud Forum which was established as a key action under the Department of Finance's National Payments Strategy. BPFI will chair the Forum for the initial period of two and half years and work with industry partners, the Government and An Garda Siochana to ensure a robust framework for fraud prevention, detection, and disruption. How secure are banking apps? Biometric logins, such as facial recognition, are becoming increasingly common within mobile banking apps to ensure they are secure. Our banking apps are "in general" secure, according to independent expert and Chief Technical Officer at Wayne Morgan. "Most banking apps have to undergo diligent tests and ongoing tests for the security vulnerabilities. So, in general, yes, I would say banking apps are secure," said Mr Morgan. He advises users to adopt a trust nothing and check everything attitude when it comes to keeping your personal information safe. "Cyber security and your approach to security starts the moment you sit in a chair or turn on your device," said Mr Morgan. "It's not good enough to action after the fact, you have to be diligent from the moment you pick up your device," he said. What are the main risks of banking apps as a consumer? They include phishing attacks, malware, fake apps or rogue apps or spoof apps; people reusing credentials in their banking that they would use in multiple other places; and man in the middle attack (MITM). MITM attackers sometimes create their own malicious public wifi networks to lure unsuspecting users and harvest their personal data. The attacker places themselves between a user and the app or website to eavesdrop on the communication. This can be done through a piece of software installed on a phone, tablet or computer and the attackers uses it to steal or manipulate information. This is why it is important not to use the same password for multiple accounts, as it makes it easier for attackers to compile more of your personal information. "People have a habit of using a password that's easy to remember. It could be a family member's name, an anniversary, the name of a pet," said Mr Morgan. "They will reuse that password across the spread of their apps, it could be their Facebook or Instagram, their banking, it could be many, many things, and reusing the password is definitely something we would advise against." Is technology or human error more susceptible to fraudsters? Typically, human error is the main path to a breach. Phishing and smishing are the most common attacks used by fraudsters to socially engineer customers into giving away their credentials. 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Fraudsters can trick people into sharing their logins and sensitive financial information with fake banking apps that imitate legitimate mobile banking. However, any fake app that is downloaded inadvertently through unofficial links or phishing websites poses a threat to the security of your information. And the fraudsters can play the long game, as you will have no idea that they have access to your phone or device. By installing an app from an untrusted source, there is the same risk as an email breach. The hackers can install a Trojan piece of software, and somebody will be sitting with full uninterrupted access to the device; and they'll just sit there. "It could be for days, for weeks, months, monitoring the traffic, waiting for the opportunity of you to use your banking app and enter your password," said Mr Morgan. "If you have two factor authentication, they will be sitting there waiting for the access code or token from your two-factor authentication session to go across," he said. "They would then use that token to gain access to your banking app. These things are a long game, they're not necessarily good in the short term, so diligence over time is critical," he explained. If a device is hacked in this way, deleting the fake app is unlikely to solve the problem. The initial piece of Trojan software that was installed is likely to install something else in the background such as a port or access path to a third party to access the device and the user's information. How are the banks in Ireland working to protect banking app customers? The EU is working on a new legislative framework the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) as well as a third Payment Services Directive (PSD). Both aim to modernise payment services, enhance consumer protection, and promote competition in the payments market. 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It said it continually enhances the app's security features, this year launching in-app calls to help customers quickly expose impersonation scams, as well as implementing real-time AI fraud detection systems, transaction limits, biometric authentication requirements, and providing educational resources to help consumers remain informed about potential risks. The Revolut app security features include strict identity checks, biometric security, a dedicated control centre where customers can personalise their security settings across more than 10 features, complete card control (a customer's physical card must be activated in their app), Wealth Protection (an additional layer of biometric security), in-app calls, and 24/7 customer support. A Revolut spokesperson said: "Our financial crime experts, who now make up more than a third of our 10,000-strong workforce, are continuously innovating to stay one step ahead of scammers, implementing real-time AI fraud detection systems, transaction limits, biometric authentication requirements, and providing educational resources. This thereby ensures that our customers are increasingly less exposed to the industry-wide risk of fraud." Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland said the standard for security measures is set by the PSD 2 Regulation and the regulatory technical standards. A dedicated team of around 200 people are employed by the bank to work 24/7 to address fraud attempts. Last year Bank of Ireland announced an investment of €50m in customer fraud prevention and protection, with €15m specifically allocated to new fraud prevention technology. The investment includes implementing voice biometric technology and enhancing self-service features on the mobile app. The bank operates device monitoring with a range fraud measures across the Bank of Ireland app and online channels, including fraud detection tools across customer activity, payment limits, effective warnings, strong customer authentication, in-channel messaging, and push notifications. Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, Nicola Sadlier, said where they have a suspicion, they will reach out to a customer by text or phone call. "Essentially that team is working 24/7 to manage alerts, reach out to customers and attempt to stop any fraud either on our channel or whether a customer's being caught up unknown to themselves," she said. If an app scam is reported the bank will investigate fully and report it to the Gardai unless the customer has already done so. Bank of Ireland said it may have to get on to beneficiary banks to look to recover funds and will keep customers informed at all stages of the investigation. As member of the BPFI working groups, industry forums, and the Cyber Defence Alliance, Ms Sadlier said understanding what other banks are experiencing is a key focus area. "The UK often start experiencing fraud attacks ahead of us, it's really important that we share trend information and learn what's happening and to get ready and respond," she said. An Post An Post is continually focused on ensuring that its An Post Money app is secure by constantly enhancing it based on market intelligence and its own fraud experiences and systems monitoring. Product Management Consultant at An Post, Bruce Richardson, said they have not seen a rise in app fraud among its customers. He credits this with An Post's back-end security measures and educating customers, including the Fraud "Stop & Think" notifications in the app. "The weakest point is the customer because we're socially engineered to believe if somebody phones you and says they're from the fraud department or whoever it might be, we're socially conditioned to accept that," said Mr Richardson. "Also the fraudsters have become more clever about how they do it, people think they're going to phone up and ask for your bank details but they've already done that they already have your information, they're only looking normally for that verification code that will be sent to your mobile device and that's the piece that they really want," he stated. One feature that An Post credits with being instrumental in protecting customers is its Dynamic CVV. 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A PTSB spokesperson said: "We have invested, and continue to invest, significantly in security and fraud prevention and detection across all our channels, including our mobile app and desktop banking services". "This includes the 'PTSB Protect; feature on our mobile app which has supported a 64% reduction in customer account exposure year on year," the spokesperson said. "As fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, we communicate with our customers on an ongoing basis on how to avoid fraud and scams across all of our channels, in addition to our participation in the banking industry's FraudSMART programme," the spokesperson added.

Irish Independent

4 days ago

• Irish Independent

‘It is wrong' – Ceann Comhairle urged to meet Oireachtas broadcast staff working on ‘contract basis'

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Agriland

6 days ago

• Agriland

Mart trade: Record calf prices continue as heavier cattle ease

The mart trade over the past few days has seen record calf prices continue as heavier forward-type cattle prices have eased at some mart sales as a result of recent declines in factory beef price offers. At GVM Carrigallen Mart, Co. Leitrim on Saturday, June 14, calves made up to €1,050 for a Shorthorn heifer calf off a Friesian cow with a registered birth date of May 12, 2025. May-born Friesian bull calves made up to €700 and speaking to Agriland after the sale, Carrigallen Mart manager Helen Kells said there was strong activity from both farmers and export customers for calves at the most recent sale, with exporters managing to secure the majority of these calves. This Shorthorn-cross heifer calf made €1,050 In Balla Mart, Co. Mayo on Saturday, June 14, 400-500kg heifers 'were showing the knock-on effect of the factory cuts' with average prices below the €4/kg, according to mart manager Michael Nolan. Average bullock prices remained strong with 300-400kg bullocks averaging €4.23/kg. Store bullocks weighing from 400-500kg averaged €4.29/kg while heavier bullocks weighing over 500kg averaged €4.19/kg. One of the top prices in the bullock sale went to a Charolais bullock weighing 925kg that made €3,930 or €4.25/kg for a farmer from Cloonmore – Tuam. Some of the top bullock prices from the weekend sale at Balla Mart: 360kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,940 or €5.39/kg; 490kg Charolais bullock sold for €2,580 or €5.27/kg; 670kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,290 or €4.25/kg; 795kg Simmental bullock sold for €3,300 or €4.15/kg; 895kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,730 or €4.17/kg. While the average price for 400-500kg store heifers dropped below €4/kg, lighter store heifers weighing from 300-400kg averaged €4.26/kg. Heifers weighing from 400-500kg averaged €3.92/kg, while heavy heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €3.86/kg. A 330kg Belgian Blue-cross breeding heifer sold for an impressive €4,150 or €12.58/kg. The cows were described as 'a good trade with a surprising amount of dry cows still coming out', and cows weighing over 500kg averaging €3.59/kg. An eight-year-old Charolais cow with a bull calf at foot sold for €3,720. Commenting on the weanling trade, the mart manager said: 'There are great numbers of weanlings coming out – way more than normal for this time of year – and this week they were slightly up due the demand from export buyers.' The best price was paid for a 485kg March-2024-born Belgian Blue bull that made €3,600 or €7.52/kg. Another March 2024 weanling bull weighing 335kg sold for €9.13/kg or €3,060. Bull weanlings 200–350kg averaged 5.59/kg and bulls from 350-450kg averaged €5.08/kg with bulls weighing over 450kg averaging €5.10/kg.