There is more variation in mart sale reports this week. Sales with a vibrant butcher trade or keen competition between factory and wholesale agents have seen prices improve by €1 to €3/head.
In such sales, a significant percentage of fleshed lambs weighing from 48kg to upwards of 50kg are trading in the region of €100 over the weight, with heavier lambs possibly back to €97 or €98 over the weight.
In contrast, sales with less competition between factory agents are witnessing prices for fleshed lambs range in the main from €90 to €94 over the weight for good-quality types.
This leaves aside the differential within sales, which is also in the region of €5 to €8/head between lambs of a similar weight but varying level of flesh cover.
The trend is evident for slaughter-fit lambs of a lighter weight, with the best-quality lambs weighing from 44kg to 46kg selling from €92 to €96 over the weight on average and rising in cases to over €100 plus the weight for quality ewe lambs.
Plainer-quality, crossbred lambs and those lacking flesh are selling back to €85 over the weight or even lower.
The trade for store lambs is steady. Numbers in sales in sheep strongholds have increased in the last week, as farmers look to lighten the load and conserve grass for ewes.
Lamb presentation is becoming more important. Quality lots are trading on average from €2.70/kg to €2.90/kg, with ewe lambs with breeding potential on occasion rising to €3/kg and higher.
Lesser-quality or poorly presented lambs range from €2.40/kg to €2.60/kg, while light hill lambs remain a difficult trade, ranging on average from €1.70/kg to €2.30/kg.
Cull ewes are unchanged, with a price range of €120 to €140 continuing to cover a large percentage of heavy ewes, with select lots rising to €150 and higher.
Medium-weight ewes range from €100 to €120, while light lowland ewes with an average cover of flesh range from €1/kg to €1.25/kg and back to 60c/kg to 70c/kg for very light ewes including Scottish Blackface types lacking flesh.
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