Many mart managers report a tight supply of well-fleshed lambs entered in sales. Some comment that there is a significant number of lambs on offer that may be hitting the weight range for factory agents, but that many are lacking in flesh cover and meeting variable demand. This is driving a wider differential between prices paid for lambs of similar weight but variable quality.

Prices paid for good-quality heavier lambs weighing 48kg to 52kg range on average from €112 to €118, with butcher interest driving lambs above €120 in rare occasions.

Lighter or plainer-quality lots lacking flesh are trading on average from €104 to €110, with some ram lambs selling back to €100 per head. In contrast, well-finished wether and ewe lambs weighing 44kg to 47kg are topping €110 in cases.

Some managers report the average price for store lambs reducing by €1 to €2 per head, but comment that this is more to do with lesser-quality types appearing rather than a weakening in the trade.

The cull ewe trade is firm

Forward lowland stores weighing 37kg to 41kg continue to trade from €85 to as high as €93 to €95 for well-presented lambs. Lighter lots weighing 33kg to 36kg are trading from €75 to €86 on average, while crossbred and hill store lambs are trading from €2.10/kg upwards for plainer-quality lots and from €2.20/kg to €2.40/kg for better-quality types.

Ewe hogget sales are also solid

The cull ewe trade is firm. A high percentage of large-framed lowland ewes are selling from €100 to €120, with select lots of heavy carcase ewes selling to €130. Feeding ewes are selling in the main from €65 to €85, but, again, large-framed ewes capable of doing a quick thrive are rising to €90 to €95.

Ewe hogget sales are also solid. Good-quality lots are selling from €180 to €200, with select pens of excellent-quality sheep rising to €220 to €230 or even higher on occasions in special sales. Lighter and plainer-quality lots are averaging from €155 to €175.