The sheep trade is starting the week in a healthier position than recent weeks, with agents much more active in sourcing lambs.

Numbers continue to tighten and this is adding more life to the trade. This is being reflected in mart sales held over the weekend and on Monday, with prices rising anywhere from €1 to €3 per head.

Mart managers are reporting well-fleshed lambs in tight supply, with entries in general starting to reduce.

Factory agents are working hard to source more lambs from sales, but also directly from farms.

Quotes remain unchanged at a range of €4.90/kg to €5.10/kg, but agents have been given more leeway to pay higher for large groups of lambs.

The general run of prices for lambs traded at the higher end of the market ranges from €5.20/kg to €5.30/kg, with more sellers also securing a higher carcase weight allowance of 22kg. Isolated reports show prices exceeding €5.30/kg.

There are very few lambs trading below a price of €5.10/kg to €5.15/kg, with individual sellers also having more success in negotiating 5c/kg higher.

It is quite clear that numbers are getting tighter and farmers are in a stronger selling position

Agents purchasing in Northern Ireland on behalf of southern plants are also said to have been very active over the weekend.

Northern plants are also paying suppliers higher numbers more to ward off this interest and secure sales.

Quotes remain in the region of £4.35/kg or the equivalent of €4.81/kg at 90.3p to the euro, with sellers and groups trading at the higher end of the market securing 10p/kg to 15p/kg higher.

Regular communications

IFA sheep chair Sean Dennehy advises farmers to keep abreast of the trade to ensure they are getting the best price for their lambs.

“It is quite clear that numbers are getting tighter and farmers are in a stronger selling position.

"Returns of €5.20/kg to €5.30/kg are more common this week, with top prices 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher.

"Farmers should be mindful of the rise in price and ensure they are maximising their returns."

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