Good-quality lowland wool continues to make 120c to 130c/kg across the country. There continues to be good competition for wool.

In some cases, deals for larger loads at 135c/kg have been done. The first of the upland wool is appearing.

Connemara scotch wool is making 30c/kg but up to 80c/kg is on offer for better-quality wool further down the country.

The good weather meant that lowland sheep are complete with fleeces coming in heavier than recent years.

The latest sale at the British Wool Marketing Board saw a slight decline in prices with the average price for greasy wool dropping 3p to 155p/kg.

There was 1.58m kilogrammes offered, which was up from 1.42m in the previous sale. There was good demand with an 87% clearance. Merchants here are trying to pull prices back on the basis of lower demand anticipated from the UK as well as from China.

Peter Young