Camera at the Mart was in attendance at the weekly sheep sale in Kilrea Mart, Co Derry, on Monday.
With supplies of factory-fit lambs extremely tight across Northern Ireland, there was a much smaller showing of stock for the time of year, with around 280 head of sheep forwarded for sale.
Buying demand
Buying demand is running ahead of supplies on the ground and this is keeping a floor in the trade and prices are holding firm.
Commenting on the sale, mart manager Mark Stewart said: “Lambs are a good, steady trade, with little change in prices due to scarcity of stock at the moment.”
Top price
New-season lambs sold to a top price of £139 (€162) on three separate occasions, while, on a per-kilo basis, the sale hit a peak price of 650p/kg (€7.97/kg).
First to hit the top price mark was a pen of top-quality Texel-cross animals weighing 23.5kg half-weight.
The second lot to hit £139 was a pen of 10 Texel and Suffolk-cross lambs at 24kg half-weight, followed by a pen of 13 Texel-bred animals weighing 25kg half-weight.
The next highest price saw £138 (€160) paid twice, first off on two crossbred lambs weighing 26kg half-weight and again for a pen of nine Suffolk and Texel-cross lambs weighing 27kg half-weight.
Main price run
Other stand-out lots saw £136.50 (€159) being paid for a super pen of crossbred lambs weighing 23.5kg half-weight.
This was followed by £136 (€159) paid for 12 super-quality lambs weighing 22.5kg half-weight.
A heavy pen of Suffolk-cross lambs at 26kg half-weight sold for £135 (€157), followed by a great pen of crossbred lambs weighing 22kg half-weight that made £133 (€155) and £132 (€151) paid on lambs weighing 21.5kg half-weight.
Lighter lambs
A small entry of lighter lambs sold well, with two top-class pens at 20kg half-weight making £128 and £130 (€149 to €151) respectively.
Top price for ewes saw £138 (€160 paid).
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