Despite the fat lamb trade remaining under pressure for most of the 2019 season, the trade for breeding sheep remains on par with previous years.

At Armoy Mart on Monday, a special sale of just under 4,000 ewe lambs saw an average price of £100/head with a 100% clearance rate.

Prices peaked at £215 for a pen of Suffolk Cheviot lambs with the same breeder selling other pens at £200 and £165.

Suffolk Cheviot lambs typically sold from £107 to £148 for top quality lots. Mule ewe lambs sold from £91 to £130 with other breeds such as Texel, Suffolk and Cheviot making £88 to £138.

On Saturday, the annual Ballyvoy sale at Armoy Mart was topped at £130 for a pen of 12 Mule ewe lambs.

The same breeder sold multiple pens from £106 to £122.

Mart manager Danny McAlister said that there was a sharp trade across the 2,915 head brought forward for sale and prices were on par with last year.

Suffolk Cheviot ewe lambs sold from £93 to £121 with Suffolk ewe lambs making £91 to £108. Texel ewe lambs sold from £94 to £100.

A large entry of breeding sheep at Markethill Mart last week saw breeding hoggets sell to £172, with a general price range of £145 to £170.

Texel shearling rams sold to £335, with ram lambs making £260.

At Ballymena Mart, there was also a special sale of Mule ewe lambs on Monday. Prices reached a peak of £190 and an excellent yard of sheep met with steady demand.

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