Base lamb quotes are generally starting the week at €8.80/kg.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants in Camolin and Navan have remained on the same base quote as last Thursday, while Dawn Kildare is now on the same quote having reduced its base price by 20c/kg to €8.80/kg plus its 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment.

This leaves opening prices for QA lambs at €9/kg.

Producers with greater negotiating power are securing €9.05/kg to €9.10/kg, while, at the top end of the market, groups with a higher payment mechanism are being paid €9.20/kg.

Supply and demand is finely balanced and it is clear that some agents are being given greater power to compete in mart sales to top up numbers.

Hogget throughput has reduced further, but they have not dried up altogether and the two ICM plants are quoting a base price of €7.80/kg plus 20c/kg QA.

This leaves prices in the region of €8/kg, with some agents being paid higher for hoggets killing in the region of maximum carcase weights or slightly higher.

Ewe trade

The ewe trade is also being supported by tight numbers, with quotes unchanged at €5/kg in the larger processing plants.

Plants and abattoirs specialising in the ewe trade continue to pay upwards of €5.50/kg for ewes delivered to their desired specification.

The mart trade remains a good alternative outlet for producers with heavy ewes or ewes capable of delivering a highly conformed carcase.

Mart trade

Throughput in Kilkenny Mart doubled to 610 head, but the increase in numbers was met by a keener appetite from factory agents and wholesalers.

This competition led to some fancy prices being paid with auctioneer George Candler reporting lambs weighing from 52kg to 55kg selling from €211 to €222, while a couple of batches of lambs weighing 58kg and 63kg sold to €232/head and €244/head respectively.

Factory lambs weighing 44kg to 47kg sold on average from €184 to €195/head, with lighter lots in the region of €4/kg. This was similar for short-keep stores weighing 36kg to 39kg.

Ennis Mart

Ennis Mart reported that supplies of heavier lambs were tight in supply, which sparked strong competition between butcher and wholesale buyers.

A few batches of heavier lambs weighing 49kg to 50kg sold from €212 to €218/head, while lighter factory-type lambs averaged just over €4/kg liveweight, with agents dropping down in the weight to get their hands on higher numbers.

Athenry Mart

It was a similar scenario in Athenry Mart, with some heavier lambs weighing upwards of 53kg to 56kg selling from €220 to a top of €231 for 54kg lambs.

Lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg sold from the mid-€190s to €205/head, while lighter lots weighing 44kg to 46kg sold from €175 to €187/head depending on flesh cover.