While farmers trading in marts are still reeling from the price cuts of last week, there was a slightly more positive tone to the trade this week.

Mart managers report lamb prices stabilising and, in many cases, firming by anywhere from €3 to €5/head.

This was helped in some marts by wholesale buyers resuming purchasing activity.

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At the top end of the market, well-fleshed heavier lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg upwards sold from €205 to €210/head, with infrequent reports of prices edging above this level.

In such sales, heavy lambs generating competition between butcher and wholesale buyers sold in small numbers to a top of €220/head.

Lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg were more influenced by flesh cover and quality than heavier types. Here, prices ranged upwards from €185 to €190 for plainer-quality types to in excess of €200/head for lambs capable of achieving first-rate slaughter performance.

It was similar for lighter lambs, with lambs weighing 40kg to 42kg selling on average from €180 to €190, with prices falling either side of this range depending on quality.

Strong hoggets

Hogget numbers are surprisingly strong in some sales, while in others they have all but disappeared.

Prices for heavier fleshed hoggets range in the main from €190 to €205 for lots capable of killing at full weight.

Very heavy hoggets weighing 60kg-plus are selling at the same price as lighter lots weighing in the mid-50kg weight region.

There is demand for ewe hoggets with breeding potential, with prices ranging from €230 to €240 and attracting a premium where shorn.

Cull ewe prices are unchanged. The general run of heavier ewes are trading from €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg, with ewes around 80kg to 85kg selling for a higher price per kilo than ewes weighing upwards of 90kg.

There are very few ewes selling below €2/kg, with the exception of boner-types and light Scottish Blackface ewes which are selling back to €1.50/kg.