The sheep trade continues to defy seasonal trends, with prices recording further rises in recent days.

Factory agents are extremely anxious to secure numbers and have increased quotes offered to sellers with large numbers on hand and producer groups to attract higher numbers forward.

Base quotes

Base quotes range from €5.40/kg to €5.50/kg, which is leaving sellers with quality assured (QA) lambs securing returns of €5.50/kg to €5.65/kg.

Sellers, including agents, with higher numbers on hand are securing returns of €5.70/kg to €5.75/kg, with top prices hitting and exceeding €5.80/kg when all conformation bonuses and allowances on transport are taken into account.

Agents also remain very keen in mart sales and are meeting opposition from butcher and wholesale buyers for heavy fleshed lambs, with numbers tight and competition from store lamb finishers for lambs weighing 38kg to 42kg and possessing a nice cover of flesh.

Kilkenny Mart

Kilkenny Mart manager George Candler reported a solid trade for an entry of 500 sheep at Monday’s sheep sale.

Prices for heavier lambs weighing 46kg to 51kg were reported as ranging in general from €116 to €120, while a pen of 10 top-quality lambs weighing 50kg secured the top price of €122.

Lambs weighing 42kg to 45kg are reported as selling from €104 to €111, while 39kg to 40kg lambs sold from €98 to €102.

Lowland store lambs weighing 35kg to 36kg averaged from €85 to €90. The cull ewe trade was also firm, with feeding ewes selling from €70 to €90 and heavy fleshed ewes selling from over €100 to a top of €130.