Marts that had buyers attending sales to purchase ram lambs for live export have seen the trade ignite over the last week. Prices have jumped anywhere from €5 to €10/head.
The increase in competition has also lifted returns for slaughter-fit ewe lambs and opened up a significant differential between prices paid for lighter ram lambs and ewe lambs.
Heavier ram lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg upwards have sold from €170 to €180 in many sales, with top prices rising on occasion to the mid-€180s and even higher in isolated cases.
Demand for ram lambs is such that lighter lots of fleshed animals weighing from 44kg to 46kg have also topped the €170/head mark, with quality continental lambs with tails selling to the mid-€170s.
Ewe trade
The vibrant trade for ram lambs has lifted all boats, with the trade for slaughter-fit ewe lambs also benefitting.
Prices have not increased to the same degree, but heavy ewe lambs are trading from €167 to €175 /head. A wider differential has opened up between lighter ram lambs and ewe lambs, with a price premium of €5 to €10/head evident.
Factory agents are not letting exporters have their own way, but are finding it hard to compete. Some agents are working harder to purchase lambs direct off the land.
Hogget numbers vary greatly in sales, with marts in the west still handling a relatively high number for the time of year.
Sharp trade for hoggets
The sharp trade for ram lambs has witnessed more interest in hoggets, with fleshed hoggets weighing from 50kg to 60kg selling from €163 to €170 on average.
Hoggets lacking flesh or plainer-quality lots are selling back to the low to mid-€150s.
The ewe trade is solid, with variation also present and dependant on the presence of live export buyers.
There are lots of reports of heavy, fleshed ewes weighing upwards of 90kg to 100kg selling from €200 to €220/head, but numbers are relatively small, with a price range of €160 to €190 buying most heavy carcase ewes.
Some sales have seen lighter top-quality ewes sell for €1.90/kg to €2/kg, but the typical range is €1.60/kg to €1.80/kg.
