The trade for well-fleshed lambs in mart sales remains solid, with numbers of such lambs still relatively tight.
Many mart managers continue to report heavier fleshed lambs commanding a premium over equivalent factory prices.
Top prices reported for lambs weighing upwards of 50kg range in the main from €144 to €150, with the best-quality lambs generating extra competition between butcher buyers rising on occasion to the mid-€150s.
There is a large differential between prices paid depending on quality.
Plainer-quality lambs and ram lambs possessing a nice cover of flesh and weighing 48kg to 52kg are trading from €135 to €140 in the main, with lambs short of flesh back to €130 and lower.
Agents are keen for lambs and are willing to drop well down in the weight for suitable sheep. This is leaving well-fleshed lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg selling from €125 to €134 and back to less than €120 for poor-quality lots.
The store trade is steady, with keen demand evident. Nicely presented lowland store lambs destined for killing are trading on average from €2.65/kg to €2.85/kg, with batches of top-quality stores selling to €3/kg and higher for ewe lambs with breeding potential.
Crossbred lambs are trading from €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg, with some better-quality and heavier hill lambs falling into this price category. Light hill lambs are a challenging trade, with prices ranging from €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg.
The hogget trade is holding strong, although prices are more varied. This is more a reflection of quality rather than a weakening in demand, with a high percentage of good-quality hoggets selling in mart sales from €180 to €200 and to €230 to €240 in special sales. Light lots with breeding potential range from €160 to €175.
Heavy cull ewes are selling briskly, ranging from €1.80/kg to upwards of €2/kg for the best-quality lots. Medium-weight fleshed ewes range from €1.60/kg to €1.80/kg with top-quality lots rising to €1.90/kg. The trade for light ewes is more challenging with cull hill ewes from 90c/kg to €1.25/kg.
