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With sales starting small, and with only a few mart sales taking place in the past week, demand has been said to be quite strong so far. Factory agents and butchers continue to snap up all well-fleshed types. Heavy butchers’ hoggets are holding firm price wise compared to where they were in mid-December. Those over 50kg are selling from €108 to €113 at the upper end of the market, with some reports of prices up to €120 being paid for small numbers of top-quality types. Factory agents have been active in recent days with the main focus on well-fleshed hoggets. Hoggets from 45kg to 48kg are selling mainly from €102 to €105/head for average types, with better conformed and well-fleshed types making over €108/head. Again, those lacking flesh are not being met with strong demand. These leaner hoggets are making from €90 to €95/head.
Store buyers are more active than this time in 2017, with prices running about €2 to €5/head above the same time last year. Hoggets from 37kg to 42kg are selling mainly from €83 to €90/head. Those from 34kg to 37kg are selling mainly from €75 to €88/head, with the highest prices being paid for those carrying more flesh. Light store hoggets are a little more variable in terms of prices.
Where in-lamb ewes are on offer, prices of €150 to €170/head were common for those carrying 1.6 to 1.8 lambs per ewe, with those carrying smaller litters making from €120 to €135/head.
Lamb factory trade steady at €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg
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