The sheep trade is steady this week and, if anything, there is a bit more bite in the live trade.

Base quotes for lambs are unchanged at €8.80/kg in most plants plus the 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, while Ballon Meats continues to operate in the region of €9/kg all in.

Groups and regular sellers are being paid €9.10/kg on average, while, at the top end of the market, prices are rising to €9.20/kg for groups with a higher bonus payment mechanism or for U grading lambs.

The upturn in weather appears to have slowed the rate at which lambs are coming on to the market, while other theories include lower lamb numbers on farms limiting throughput.

Mart trade

The general run of prices for factory lambs weighing 49kg to 52kg upwards are selling in marts from €200 to €210.

Select lots of excellent-quality and heavier lambs are rising to €220 and as high as €230-plus in isolated cases where wholesale and butcher buyers lock horns.

Kilkenny Mart auctioneer George Candler summed up the trade when he said: “It’s not often said in a sheep sale, but today we ran out of sheep before all customers were able to fill their requirements.”

Factory buyers are dropping down in the weight range to compensate for lower numbers of fleshed lambs and are purchasing lambs as light as 42kg to 44kg with a good cover of flesh.

Prices for such lambs are topping €4/kg for quality lots and rising to a top of €4.20/kg.

Firm demand from store lamb producers is helping competition at lighter weights. The general trade for lighter store lambs weighing from 34kg to 37kg is €3.60/kg to €3.90/kg, with the best-quality lots rising to €4/kg to €4.20/kg.