Spring lamb prices have increased by €3 to €5 in recent days. Some sales held since the start of the week have recorded an average price increase of up to €8 to €10 on week-earlier levels.

The rise is stemming from factory agents becoming much more active in a bid to compensate for tighter supplies of hoggets and rising market demand.

Factory lambs weighing 42kg to 46kg are selling from €116 to €125/head depending on fat cover, with butcher and wholesale interest pushing top prices for lambs weighing 48kg to 52kg to €128 to €134, with flesh cover having the potential to vary prices by €5 to €6 on similar-weight lambs.

Lighter lambs weighing 37kg to 41kg have also received a lift, with prices ranging from €100 to €110, with farmers entering the frame and starting to purchase lambs for short-keep finishing.

Hogget supplies have dried up, apart from ewe hoggets which are meeting strong interest from farmers looking to replace numbers for the Sheep Welfare Scheme or meet ANC stocking rate limits.

Prices for quality lots exceeding 55kg range from €125 to €135.

Hoggets

Remaining supplies of factory hoggets weighing 50kg to 60kg range in general from €114 to €118.

Ewes with lambs at foot are steady. Good hill ewes are starting at €90 with single lamb lowland ewes to €150 for aged lots and €180 for top-quality young lots. Twin lamb lowland ewes are selling anywhere from €170 to €200 for aged ewes, with younger first- and second-crop lots selling to €250.

Cull ewes are steady, with very few ewes below €50 to €60. Fleshed lowland ewes range from €80 to €105, with large-framed ewes to a top of €120.