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.

This pen of lambs weighing 23.5kg half-weight sold for £136.50 (€159).

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.”

This pen of lambs weighing 23.5kg half-weight sold for £139 (€162).

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.

This pen of lambs weighing 22kg half-weight sold for £133 (€155).

This pen of lambs weighing 25kg half-weight sold for £139 (€162).

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.

This pen of lambs weighing 24kg half-weight sold for £139 (€162).

This pen of lambs weighing 21.5kg half-weight sold for £132 (€151).

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.

This pen of lambs weighing 21kg half-weight sold for £125 (€145).

This pen of lambs weighing 26kg half-weight sold for £135 (€157).

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.

This pen of lambs weighing 27kg half-weight sold for £138 (€160).

This pen of lambs weighing 22.5kg half-weight sold for £135 (€157).

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).

This pen of lambs weighing 26.5kg half-weight sold for £138 (€160).

Read more

Beef prices: quotes steady as factories plan for June supplies

Sheep prices: trade steady as supply-demand balance remains on farmers' side