Thursday evening’s sheep sale at Ballinasloe Mart saw a steady trade for slaughter-fit lambs, but with less bite than in the previous week.

Some regular sellers pointed to slightly less competition, with the absence of one or two buyers, leading to agents trying to purchase lambs at lower prices. However, the strength in the trade for tight supplies of factory-fit stock was evident on several occasions, where factory agents clashed with farmers for fleshed ewe lambs or forward stores possessing good flesh.

The best example of the strength in the trade was a factory/butcher buyer losing out on the purchase of five good-quality 52.5kg Suffolk lambs at €112.50. General prices paid for slaughter-fit lambs weighing over 50kg ranged from €52 to €56, with the best quality lots rising to €60 over the weight.

Lighter lambs weighing 46kg to 50kg and carrying a good cover of flesh also sold well, with top prices ranging from €55 to €58 over. Forward stores with a lower cover of flesh and suitable for a short finish sold from €50 to €52 over.

Mixed range

There was a high number of lighter stores on offer, with a mixed range in quality as shown in mart sale photos.

Demand for stores of all weights was good, with specialised feeders increasing activity and competing with farmer buyers. Lambs weighing from 35kg to 40kg sold for between €40 and €45 for hill and crossbred lambs to €53 for top-quality stores, or from €2.20/kg to €2.40/kg. Lighter lambs weighing 30kg to 35kg sold for between €30 and €42 or from €65 to €78, with small numbers of poor-quality lambs lacking significant flesh from €50 to €60.