Sheep mart prices: lamb prices rise by another €1 to €2/head

The sheep trade remains vibrant, with more life for all classes.

Some mart managers report a noticeable lift in activity following recent scheme payments with demand for store lambs boosted and hogget or breeding ewe sales finishing the season in a stronger manner than recent years.

Factory agents are also exhibiting greater purchasing power, aided by further upward movement in deadweight lamb prices.

Good-quality fleshed lambs weighing upwards of 50kg to 52kg are trading in the main from €168 to €177, with some sales with a strong wholesale or export demand witnessing prices for top-quality and heavy lambs rising to the mid-€180s.

Demand for store lambs continues to exceed supply. Good-quality lowland-type store lambs are selling in the main from €3.30/kg to €3.60/kg. Select lots, including ewe lambs with breeding potential, are trading in cases to upwards of €3.80/kg.

Plainer-quality and hill-cross lambs are trading anywhere from €2.40/kg to €3/kg, with prices towards the higher end of the range paid for well-grown lambs capable of finishing with lower levels of concentrate feeding.

Throughput of breeding ewe hoggets have reduced in most marts to a very low level, but demand is strong for those coming on stream.

Quality of hoggets is extremely variable, resulting in a wide price differential.

At the higher end of the market, good-quality hoggets are trading from €200 to €250 and higher in cases. Average-quality lots are trading from €170 to €195, with some light-boned and small-framed hoggets selling back to €135 to €145/head.

The cull ewe trade is sharper with fleshed ewes meeting firmer demand.

Heavy ewes are trading in the main from €1.90/kg to €2.10/kg, with small numbers of superior-quality types to €2.20/kg and higher.

Feeding ewes are trading anywhere from €1.60/kg to €1.85/kg for larger-framed and younger ewes capable of achieving positive performance. Boner-type and hill ewes lacking flesh are trading back to €1/kg.