Factory agents are exhibiting a strong appetite for sheep, with plants keen to get on back on track quickly and start to replenish supplies ahead of the end of the Ramadan festival on 20 April.

Quotes are unchanged, with base quotes for hoggets ranging from €6.55/kg to €6.70/kg plus the respective quality-assurance bonuses.

Most quality-assured hoggets are trading from upwards of €6.80/kg, with producers handling significant numbers and those selling through groups securing returns ranging from €6.85/kg to €6.95/kg. Sellers trading at the higher end of the market are securing returns in excess of €7/kg, with factory agents eager to tie in to sales involving large numbers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Factories are becoming more discerning with regards to underfleshed hoggets, with cuts of up to €2/kg threatened for hoggets lacking flesh and killing out at fat score 1.

There are even greater cuts in some plants for poorer-quality underfleshed P grading carcases.

Spring lambs

The spring lamb trade is steady, with quotes for Tuesday also largely unchanged on last week and ranging from €7.55/kg to €7.60/kg.

Most lambs are trading upwards of €7.70/kg, with groups and producers with long-standing relationships for producing early lamb securing returns rising to €7.80/kg to €7.90/kg and higher in cases.

Producers should weigh up the type of lamb on hand and the most lucrative outlet, with a number of sales held in recent days recording a solid trade.

Athenry’s sale of spring lambs was much improved on the week. Top prices the previous week topped out at €171 while on Monday almost half of the 20 lots entered sold for upwards of €170, with top-quality lambs weighing upwards of 48kg selling from €170 to €202 for three super-quality Charollais lambs weighing 60.5kg. Other lambs weighing from 40kg to 44kg sold from €150 to €172 per head.

Ewe trade

The ewe trade is solid, with quotes generally in the region of €3.30/kg to €3.40/kg but up to €3.50/kg to €3.60/kg is being paid for significant numbers of good-quality ewes.

Well-fleshed heavy ewes remain a vibrant trade in mart sales, with ewes weighing in excess of 85kg to 90kg selling from €150 to €200 depending on quality.

This presents a good opportunity for farmers struggling to negotiate with factory agents on ewes.