Keen demand for store lambs is creating huge competition in marts. Managers report beef farmers favouring purchasing lambs over cattle to graze surplus grass adding to demand. The trade is firm across all classes.

Short-keep lowland lambs weighing 35kg to 40kg are selling from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg, or from €75 to €88 per lamb. Ewe lambs are at the higher end of the scale and are attracting a price premium of €3 to €5 per head or higher for potential replacements. Lighter and crossbred lambs weighing 30kg to 35kg are selling from €68 to €76 per lamb. Pens evenly matched and well-selected are attracting the most interest.

The trade for factory lambs has steadied, with prices settling at €45 to €53 over, or from €95 to €105 per head for lambs weighing 45kg to 50kg. Higher-quality and butcher-type lambs have sold in a small number of cases to €55 to €60 over.

Cull ewe numbers are increasing as farmers wean. Feeding ewes are selling from €50 to €70, depending on size and condition.

Fleshed ewes continue to trade from €95 to €110 for large-framed ewes and back to €85 per head for average-sized ewes.

Small numbers of breeding hoggets are appearing in sales. Prices range from €150 to €170 for good-quality hoggets. An early lamb production sale held in Carnew last week saw second to fourth crop ewes sell from €100 to €130 per head.