With a focus on store lamb finishing systems, camera at the ringside visited Ballinasloe Mart on Thursday evening to get a snapshot of the trade.

There was firm demand for an entry of close to 2,000 lambs, with agents purchasing for farms in the midlands and southeast adding competition to local demand.

The keenest demand was for lambs that were evenly matched on type, weight and condition. Light, small-framed lowland and crossbred lambs with an approximate weight of less than 30kg sold from €63 to €70, with heavier lambs weighing 29kg to 32kg selling to €75.

Heavier lowland lambs weighing 32kg to 36kg sold from €42 over the weight for plainer quality types right up to €48 to €50 over for the best-quality lots on offer.

There was a wide differential in price for short-keep lambs, with flesh cover having a big bearing on price. Well-fleshed lambs weighing 40kg to 42kg sold from €48 to €50 over or from €89 to €93 per head. Lambs lacking flesh and in particular ram lambs very short of flesh sold back to €40 to €42 over.

Factory agents entered the frame for well-fleshed lambs weighing 44kg to 45kg and competed with buyers sourcing lambs for a four- to six-week finishing period. Demand was helped by small numbers of factory-fit lambs on offer, with 45kg to 48kg lambs selling from €94 to €98, depending on flesh cover and potential kill-out and heavier lambs weighing over 50kg selling to €107.

Ewe lambs with breeding potential and evenly matched attracted an extra layer of competition, pushing prices in cases to €3 to €5 above similar weight lambs while the best-quality lots attracted a €10 to €15 premium.

Browse the gallery above for a full set of pictures from the sale.