Tuesday’s sheep sale at Portumna Mart saw an entry of just under 300 on offer. Commenting on the new tagging requirements, mart manager John O’Sullivan said that he has had little issues so far, with the vast majority of farmers complying with the new requirements.

This pen of 12 lambs weighing 48kg on average sold for €112 each (€2.33/kg).

In terms of the sale itself, John said that the lamb trade was steady, but cull ewes were back between €8 and €10/head on the previous week.

The top price last week for cull ewes was €137/head and on Tuesday last it was €130/head, but the majority of those on offer sold from €100 to €115/head.

This pen of 12 lambs weighing 41kg on average sold for €102 each (€2.49/kg).

In terms of the lamb trade, he said that prices were very similar to the previous week, with the majority of buyers being factory agents.

Slaughter-fit lambs sold from €105 to €115. Lighter lambs from 43kg to 43kg sold mainly for around €105/head, while those about 40kg sold from €96 to €102/head.

This pen of six Suffolk-cross lambs weighing 44kg on average sold for €112 each (€2.55/kg).

In terms of the cattle sale at the mart, numbers are small, but John said that the trade continues to be very strong, with all cattle on offer on Wednesday being sold.

The best demand was for heavier cattle, with all continentals being met with firm farmer demand.

This pen of 12 lambs weighing 41kg on average sold for €100 each (€2.44/kg).

Commission rates are €1 to the buyer and €2 to the seller.

This pen of 10 lambs weighing 42kg on average sold for €103 each (€2.45/kg).

This pen of 12 lambs weighing 44.5kg on average sold for €108 each (€2.43/kg).