Farmers presenting slaughter-fit lambs in Athenry Mart in Co Galway experienced a much-livelier trade on Monday, with prices up by anywhere from €5 to €10 per head on the previous week.

Fourteen lots of well-fleshed lambs weighing from 52kg to 56kg exceeded the €200 mark, and sold to a top of €220 to €225 on occasions.

The trade for lighter-fleshed lambs weighing around 50kg was also brisk, with prices for the best-quality lots ranging from €190 to €198 on average. A few lots of 48kg-to-49kg lambs broke into this price range.

Some similar-weight lambs with a lower cover of flesh sold back to the mid-to-low-€180s.

Lambs weighing from around 45kg to 46kg sold at around €3.50/kg to €3.65/kg, with some well-fleshed lambs attracting factory-buyer attention and sometimes rising to €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg.

There was a similar price trend for lambs weighing in the region of 40kg to 41kg. Such animals registered, in the main, from €3.50/kg to €3.75/kg, but some good-quality and well-presented stores rose to €4/kg.

Increased competition

Demand was significantly boosted by purchasing activity from O’Flynn Meats in Co Waterford, competing with factory agents and butcher/wholesale buyers.

The company is purchasing further afield from its normal trading area and is keen to handle higher numbers. It is quoting a price of €8.30/kg to a carcase weight of 23kg to producers but stresses that such a price is only payable for quality lambs with a good cover of flesh.

It is also keen on top-quality ewes and is quoting a price of €5/kg.

There is more life in the trade overall, but factories are trying to keep a lid on price. Reports indicate base quotes are up by 10c/kg to €7.90/kg. This leaves opening prices on offer to groups and regular sellers at €8.20/kg with some groups, with a higher-payment agreement reaching €8.30/kg.

Agents are reluctant to go above that level, but higher-priced deals have been negotiated.

These well-fleshed lambs, weighing 48kg, sold for €190 each (€3.96/kg).

These tight-wooled Suffolk ewe lambs, weighing 44.5kg, sold for €181 (€4.07/kg).

These quality Texel-cross and Suffolk-cross lambs, weighing 53kg, sold for €209 each (€3.94/kg).

These five lambs, lacking flesh cover and weighing 47kg, sold for €138 each (€2.94/kg).

Weighing 52kg on average, these Charollais-cross lambs sold for €200 each (€3.85/kg).

These Charollais-cross lambs, weighing 49kg, sold for €189 each (€3.86/kg).

Weighing an average of 54kg, these Suffolk-cross lambs sold for €200 (€3.70/kg).

These quality Suffolk lambs, weighing 54.5kg, sold for €221 each (€4.06/kg).

This mixed-breed batch of store ewe lambs, weighing 35.5kg, sold for €137 (€3.86/kg).

These Charollais-cross ewe lambs, weighing 49kg, sold for €185 per head (€3.78/kg).

These Scottish Blackface wether lambs, weighing 48kg, sold for €172 (€3.58/kg).

This batch of 14 Charollais-cross and Suffolk-cross lambs, weighing 50kg, sold for €194 (€3.88/kg).

This batch of Texel-cross and Charollais-cross lambs, weighing 45kg, sold for €169 (€3.76/kg).

The six Suffolk ewe lambs (left) weighing 52.5kg sold for €192, while the six lambs weighing on the right, weighing 51kg, sold for €196 (€3.84/kg).

This batch of 21 lambs, weighing 47.5kg, on average sold for €180 per head (€3.79/kg).

This batch of 18 ram lambs, weighing 49kg, sold for €189 each (€3.86/kg).

These black-fleeced lambs, weighing 52kg, sold for €187 (€3.60/kg).

These Charollais-cross store-ewe lambs, weighing 32kg, sold for €141 each (€4.41/kg).

This batch of 20 Charollais-cross ram lambs, weighing 51.5kg, sold for €196 (€3.81/kg).

This batch of 17 Texel-cross lambs, including one ram lamb, weighing 50kg, sold for €189 (€3.78/kg).

These well-fleshed mixed-breed lambs, weighing 51kg, sold for €196 each (€3.84/kg).