Mart managers report factory agents displaying a keener appetite for lambs in the last week.

Sale entries are in line with normal levels of throughput, but this includes more ewes and hides the fact that lamb numbers are running at a lower level.

This is the case outside of marts and factory agents are keen to use mart sales as an option to try to boost numbers.

Well-fleshed lambs weighing upwards of 50kg continue to trade in the main from €170 to €175. There are small numbers of lambs selling to €180 or higher, most prevalent in sales where there is a strong presence of butcher and wholesale buyers.

Good-quality lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg are trading on average from €166 to €174, with some lots of excellent-quality lambs getting into the price levels described above.

Similarly well-fleshed lambs weighing 45kg to 46kg are also securing prices at the higher end of the market, ranging from€165 to €170, with plainer-quality lambs with a lower kill-out potential or lacking flesh selling back to €155 to €160.

Hoggets are appearing in small numbers, but agents are keen to mop up any numbers on offer.

Fleshed hoggets weighing upwards of 55kg are trading from €160 to €170, with lighter lots weighing 45kg to 50kg selling anywhere from €145 to €160 depending on quality and flesh cover.

Prices for nice-quality ewe hoggets are averaging in the region of €170 to €185, but as high as €190 to €200 is being paid for well-grown hoggets.

The ewe trade has strengthened. Factory agents armed with an increase in factory quotes are willing to compete with greater intensity against those buying ewes for the live export and wholesale trades.

Prices for heavy, good-quality ewes weighing from 95kg to 100kg upwards range in the main from €185 to €220, with a significant number of ewes, many of which are sold in low numbers, exceeding this range to a top of €230 to €250. Fleshed ewes weighing 80kg to 85kg are trading from €160 to €180, with plainer quality types back to €140 to €155.