Farmers at three Welsh livestock markets saw record prices paid for cattle last week.
At Brecon Market the monthly stores sale at the end of January saw a dramatic improvement in prices for all types of cattle included a Charolais steer from Messrs Jones of Falcondale Farm, Lampeter reaching £1,105 with another from the same farm fetching £1,045.
Several other steers were knocked down for more than £900 while heifers reached £840.
Auctioneers Chris Jones said the sale attracted the largest contingent of buyers for several years and prices that were "simply unbelievable"
The steers averaged 136.5p/kg – £652 per head – while the heifers were 124p/kg and £575.
Mr Jones said he hoped the trend would continue and the prices mark the end of the recession which has hit farmers and agricultural industries.
The next main sale of store cattle will be on February 29 and they have already received several inquiries for store cattle and also cull cows.
Meanwhile Newport Market Auctioneers reported a new record for a barren cow at the mart last Wednesday. The Farm Assured Belgian Blue cow scaling just over 1,000kg was presented for sale by WCR Cooke & Son, Llantilio Crossenny, Abergavenny, at the weekly auction of tested and exempt cows.
She was eventually knocked down at £1,225, a new record price achieved for OTM cattle since resuming sales in the autumn of 2005.
The market's all time record price still stands at £1,500, which was set back in the early 1990s.
