There was a large turnout of 2,442 sheep at Mid-Kerry Co-operative Mart in Milltown in a sale which saw a 100% clearance for lambs and ewes. Commenting on the sale, mart manager Denis Sheehan said: “There was a great trade there. Most importantly, Scotch lambs are up €12 to €15/head on this time last year. That’s great to see, as they are generally found on rougher ground and those farmers are most in need.

“The ANC payment that came out last week did a serious job for Scotch ewe lambs in particular. They were making €70 to €75. It’s a great turn-around, as last year when prices were on the floor some farmers didn’t put rams out on the hills the confidence was so low in them.”

Most Scotch lambs were selling for between €1.70/kg and €2/kg, with ewe lambs at the top end of the range. Lowland factory lambs were mainly hitting the €2/kg mark or a few cent/kg either side of it, while the lighter store lamb was making up to €2.30/kg back towards €2 for the tight wool sheep.

There was strong demand for breeding ewes of both hill and lowland varieties, with most selling for between €100 and €140/head, with a few select lots going for up to €150. Cull ewes sold for up to €1.03/kg.

Entry fee is €0.95/head and commission for the buyer is €1.20/head and €1.40/head for the seller.