The cull ewe trade continues to excel. Live exporter buyers are especially active in marts in the west and midlands, while a number of wholesale buyers are inserting high levels of competition into the trade in the east of the country.

Small numbers of heavy well-conformed ewes weighing in excess of 100kg are exceeding the €200/head mark on occasion and with top prices rising as high as €220 to €230, this is grabbing all the attention in sales.

Exporters and wholesale buyers are most active for ewes with the potential of achieving a good kill-out and delivering a high-quality carcase.

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This is witnessing suitable ewes weighing 90kg to 95kg upwards selling from €165 to €190, with ewes weighing 80kg to 85kg selling in a wide price range of €130 to €170, with these very much influenced by quality.

Lighter ewes

Lighter ewes weighing around the 70kg mark are selling in sales from upwards of €100 in the main, with the best-quality types capable of securing €20 to €30 higher returns.

The increased appetite and higher factory prices have also lifted prices paid for Scottish Blackface ewes, with prices ranging from €30 to €40 with the weight for heavier types and back to €1.10/kg to €1.30/kg for lots with a lower cover of flesh.

The hogget trade has also firmed, with prices up on average by €2 to €5/head and higher in some sales.

Hoggets weighing 50kg to 54kg are trading in the main from €154 to €164, with heavier and top-quality lots rising to €170 and higher in isolated cases.

Lighter slaughter-fit hoggets weighing in the region of 45kg to 48kg are trading from €100 over the weight for average-quality lots to €110 over for well-conformed lots with feeding and capable of achieving a good kill-out.

The trade for ewes with lambs at foot has trended up and down over the last week, with weather having an influence on buyer confidence.

Twin-lamb lots are trading in the main from €200 to €280, with top prices for young ewes to €300 to €325.

Single-lamb lots range on average from €140 for poor-quality outfits to €180 to €220 for young ewe / strong lamb combinations, with up to €250 paid for hogget ewes with strong lambs.