There has been much more life in the lamb trade since the turn of the week.
The number of lambs on offer is described as being boosted by reports of greater competition between buyers and increased prices. However, numbers still remain lower year on year and this is also reflected in the weekly kill figure.
Mart managers report prices increasing by anywhere from €3 to €10/head on average, with the extent of the increase dependant on the strength of the trade in the previous week.
There is a significant percentage of heavier lambs appearing and lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg upwards are trading on average from €170 to €177, with a selection of excellent-quality butcher-type lambs hitting €180 and higher.
Lambs weighing 46kg to 48kg are trading from €164 to €174, with fleshed lighter lots weighing 44kg to 45kg averaging in the main from €160 to €170.
Prices paid for lambs weighing 43kg to 44kg are very dependent on kill-out potential.
The best-quality lots are trading from €153 to €160, but lambs lacking flesh and not likely to kill favourably are falling back to €130 to €140 in isolated cases.
The hogget trade is brisk. A significant number on offer continue to comprise heavy hoggets, including significant numbers of ewe hoggets, ranging in weight from 55kg to 65kg. Prices range from €170 to €180, with lighter lots weighing back to 50kg selling from €160 upwards.
There is also demand for light hoggets weighing 45kg to 48kg, with prices influenced by flesh cover and ranging from €145 for plainer-quality types to €155 to €160 for top-quality lots. There is some farmer interest for ewe hoggets, but factory buyers are dominating the trade.
Cull ewes are meeting a strong trade with prices firm. Large-framed heavy ewes continue to trade in the main from €170 to €200, with small numbers above this range.
Lighter ewes around 80kg are selling from €130 to €150 with all lowland ewes with a decent flesh cover above €100/head. Scottish Blackface and thin, poor-quality lowland ewes range from €1/kg to €1.30/kg.
