Lamb throughput continues to climb gradually, with reports indicating that the percentage of lambs in the weekly kill profile surpassed hoggets for the first time this year in the last week.

Demand is solid, with agents keen to get their hands on lambs or hoggets.

Base quotes are unchanged and range in general from €7.95/kg to €8.10/kg, with most lambs trading from €8.10/kg upwards.

Individual sellers with less negotiating power are securing returns of €8.10/kg to €8.20/kg for quality assured (QA) lambs, with Kildare Chilling continuing to set the pace on price.

Regular sellers and those trading through groups are securing 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher, while, at the top end of the market, prices of €8.35/kg to €8.40/kg are being reported on occasion.

Struggling to negotiate

Mart managers also report that farmers struggling to negotiate with factories for prices on small numbers are showing lambs live to take advantage of firm competition between agents and butcher or wholesale buyers.

Hoggets may be secondary in terms of throughput numbers, but factories are still keen to use them to bolster throughput and this will remain the case as long as hoggets are available.

Opening prices are in the region of €7.10/kg to €7.20/kg, but regular sellers and producer groups are securing prices ranging anywhere from €7.25/kg to €7.40/kg, with specialist finishers trading at the top end of the market securing returns of up to €7.50/kg.

Vibrant ewe trade

The ewe trade remains vibrant, with the mixture of demand from buyers sourcing ewes for live export, those sourcing ewes for direct slaughter and factory agents ensuring there is plenty of life in the trade.

The live trade remains the best outlet for heavy carcase ewes weighing in excess of 45kg to 46kg, with this typically the cut-off carcase weight payment limit enforced in factories.

Quotes range from €3.80/kg to €4/kg, with farmer ewes selling within this range or 10c/kg to 15c/kg higher for large numbers, while agents and those handling large numbers are trading in the region of €4.10/kg to €4.25/kg.