There is no change in the mart trade, with all categories meeting a steady trade.
Finished lambs weighing from 49kg to 52kg and possessing a good cover of flesh continue to trade on average from €177 to €186, with select lots hitting €190-plus.
Heavier lambs and those attracting butcher buying attention are rising to €200 in cases, although the appetite from wholesale buyers is reported as slightly tempered over the last week, with prices of €190 to €195 buying a high percentage of higher-priced lots.
Prices paid for lighter lambs weighing around the 46kg to 48kg mark depend on flesh cover, with the best-quality lots selling for in excess of €170/head and lesser-quality falling back towards €160/head.
Store lamb prices are steady, with recent heavy rainfall reported as quelling upward movement in some marts.
A high percentage of lambs are trading from €3.45/kg to €3.65/kg. Some excellent-quality and well-presented lambs are hitting returns of €3.80/kg, with ewe lamb lots rising to €4/kg in isolated cases.
Hoggets
Entries of ewe hoggets are small, but demand is reported as firm.
Some mart managers report that hoggets being traded now are making a better price relative to the quality of hoggets sold in previous weeks, with some customers leaving it late to purchase and helping competition in a declining supply.
The general run of lowland hoggets are trading from €180 to €200 for lighter-framed lots to €220 to €250 for better-quality medium-sized lots.
Cull ewes are steady, with a price range of €2.20/kg to €2.50/kg accounting for the lion’s share of heavier and well-fleshed lowland types.
There are small numbers of excellent-quality ewes exceeding this price range for ewes capable of delivering high-quality carcases for the export carcase market.
Plainer-quality types are selling back to €2/kg liveweight.
Feeding ewes and heavier hill ewes are selling from €1.70/kg to €2/kg.
Scottish Blackface ewes lacking significant flesh cover are selling back to €1.20/kg to €1.40/kg, with poorer types at light weights at €1/kg.