The trade for hill breeding sheep has started in lightening fashion, with Cheviot ewe hoggets selling as high as €400 in Blessington Mart on Tuesday.

The price was not a one-off, with significant numbers of Cheviot hoggets selling between €300 and €400. Prices averaged over €250, with John Doyle of Blessington Mart reporting that prices are easily up €50 on the corresponding Wicklow Cheviot Sheep Owners sale in 2019.

The sale follows a strong sale hosted by the Donegal Cheviot and Cheviot Cross Breeders Group in Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart on Friday night.

Cheviot sheep also stole the limelight there, with hoggets averaging in excess of €200 and top-quality lots selling to €270. Ewe lambs also recorded an excellent average of €140 for Suffolk Cheviot lambs and €136 for Cheviot ewe lambs. Significant numbers sold to €200, with prize-winning Suffolk Cheviot ewe lambs hitting as high as €240.

Lowland hoggets

Sales of lowland hoggets remain strong, with general sales recording average prices of €180 to €220, while strong ewe lambs range from €120 to as high as €150 to €160 or even higher in special sales.

The trade is being boosted by a continued vibrant trade for finished and store lambs. Factory quotes range from €5.20/kg t0 €5.50/kg, with a high percentage of lambs trading from €5.35/kg to €5.50/kg. This represents an increase in prices of 70c/kg to 80c/kg on the corresponding period in 2019, or €14 to €17 on a 20kg carcase.

The store lamb trade is benefiting from strong grass supplies and growing interest from beef farmers, some of which have switched to lambs due to the 5% stocking rate reduction requirement in BEAM. Prices are running €10 to €15 above 2019 levels.