There are varying reports from mart sales in recent days.

Some marts in the southeast and midlands regions are reporting numbers tightening and prices firming to the tune of €2 to €3/head.

Other marts along the western coast reported no real change in price, but signs of a better appetite.

The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 50kg to 53kg remains in the region of €170 to €177, with quality and potential slaughter performance influencing prices.

Heavier and excellent-quality lambs are rising to and exceeding €180/head, with some sales reporting odd pens attracting keen butcher or wholesale buyer demand rising to the mid- to highs-€180s. Numbers trading at this level are relatively small.

Prices paid for lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg are even more dependent on flesh cover and kill-out potential. Prices range from €148 to €158/head for quality lowland types, with crossbred or plainer-quality lots back to the low-€140s.

Demand remains solid for heavier store lambs, but the appetite has weakened in places for light lambs.

Prices average €3.20/kg to €3.30/kg for well-presented store lambs, with those with a better cover of flesh are selling to €3.40/kg in cases. Poorer-quality and crossbred stores are selling from €3/kg to €3.15/kg.

Some lighter but top-quality stores are recording a higher price of €3.40/kg to €3.65/kg, but some long-term prospects or lambs which appear to have their growth stunted are selling below the €3/kg mark and range from €2.75/kg to €3/kg.

Entries of hoggets are drying up fast, with prices remaining at €220 to €260 for better-quality lots and falling back to €150 and below for small-framed and plainer-quality hill types.

Cull ewes are unchanged, with the majority of heavier fleshed ewes selling from €2.10/kg to €2.30, while top-quality lots are rising in cases to €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg, but numbers are small.

Feeding ewes are selling around the €2/kg mark for lowland types, with heavier hill ewes and ewes with a poorer cover of flesh back to €1.50/kg to €1.70/kg and €1/kg to €1.30/kg for light carcase types.