Many mart managers are reporting a significant reduction in the average liveweight of lambs appearing in sales. This is being driven by a number of factors.

Higher concentrate costs have reduced the numbers of farmers feeding lambs and this has resulted in lighter finished lambs, while the average weight of store lambs is also significantly lower year on year.

The latter is being driven by concentrate costs reducing feeding levels, while lamb thrive during the main grazing season was limited by less fertiliser being applied and drought conditions in some areas.

Tight supplies

The relatively tight supplies of finished lambs is keeping a floor under the trade. Significant variation in price remains, with sales recording the highest prices showing lambs weighing 48kg to 50kg upwards selling from €135 to €144. In contrast, the general run of prices in many sales is €130 to €137, with lower prices in hill areas.

Demand for store lambs differs greatly depending on lamb type. Forward store lambs weighing upwards of 38kg to 40kg continue to trade on average from €2.60/kg to €2.80/kg for good-quality lowland lambs and back to €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg for crossbreds and €2.20/kg for hill lambs.

Lighter hill lambs continue to struggle. Prices for light lambs weighing less than 30kg range from €1.75/kg to €2/kg depending on condition.

Lowland lambs weighing in the low-30kg weight category range anywhere from €2.50/kg to €2.70 in general and as high as €2.80/kg to €3.00/kg for nice-quality ewe lambs.

Cull ewes

The cull ewe trade is unchanged. Heavy ewes are in low supply, with ewes weighing 85kg to 90kg selling from €120 to €140. Lighter ewes weighing in the region of 75kg are selling from €100 to €115 for fleshed types and back to €85 to €90 for feeding ewes lacking flesh. Scottish Blackface ewes and light lowland ewes with a poor cover of flesh are selling from €1/kg to €1.30/kg.

Hoggets remain at €160 to €180 for quality types, €150 to €160 for medium quality and back to €120 for light and plainer-quality lowland lots and hill types.