Good-quality fleshed lambs are in tight supply in many areas and this is inserting more competition into the trade for the small number of butcher-type lambs available.

Fleshed lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg upwards are selling from €148 to €155, with choice lots rising to €160 at the start of the week.

There is significant variation in prices paid for lambs weighing 45kg to 48kg, with lamb quality and flesh cover again having a major influence.

The best-quality lambs are securing returns of €100 with their weight, with this falling back to €90 for lesser-quality lambs and back to €120 to €130 for poorly conformed lambs also lacking significant flesh.

Short-keep stores

Short-keep stores in the 38kg to 41kg weight bracket are trading from €2.80/kg to €3/kg.

Medium-weight lambs are trading from €2.70/kg to €2.90/kg on average, while light lambs weighing from 26kg to 30kg are trading anywhere from €2.70/kg to €3/kg.

The number of hoggets appearing in sales remains low and there are buyers present for those appearing.

Well-grown and nice-quality hoggets weighing from 70kg upwards are trading from €200 to €225/head. Lighter but nice-quality hoggets weighing upwards of 60kg are capable of selling to the €200 mark, while lighter, plainer-quality and crossbred types are trading in small numbers from €155 to €180/head.

Specialist producers

Specialist hogget producers have also started to purchase suitable quality ewe lambs.

Prices for heavier ewe lambs are securing a price premium of €4 to €10 above equivalent weight factory lambs, while many lots offered are in the region of 40kg to 45kg and selling from €135 to €150.

The trade for ewes has eased, but continued demand for heavy fleshed ewes is helping to keep a floor under the trade for ewes weighing in excess of 90kg.

Top prices are exceeding the €2/kg mark, rising to €2.10/kg to €2.15/kg.

Medium-weight factory-type ewes are selling in the main from €1.65/kg to €1.85/kg or from €130 to €155 for ewes weighing in the region of 80kg to 85kg.