The hogget trade in marts has increased anywhere from €2 to €5/head over the last week and greater in cases.

Reports from mart sales since the weekend are dominated by a handful of lots reaching and exceeding the €200/head mark.

These prices have typically been paid for heavy top-quality hoggets weighing 55kg to 60kg upwards.

While the spotlight is on these prices, the general run of prices for fleshed hoggets weighing 52kg to 55kg upwards is ranging from €190 to €199 for lowland lots with a good cover of flesh and falling back to the mid- to low-€180s for crossbred types with lower slaughter performance potential or lots with a poorer cover of flesh.

Lighter hoggets

It is a similar story for lighter hoggets with prices for lots weighing 47kg to 49kg ranging from the high-€170s to the mid- to high-€180s.

Sale entries have been higher this week in many sales centres, but with peak buying for the start of the Ramadan festival (10 March), demand is still outstripping supply.

Returns for hoggets weighing from 44kg to 46kg are possibly at the widest level of any weight groups due to a big variation in flesh cover and suitability for slaughter.

Top prices reported have surpassed €170/head, but the general run is from €160 to €170, and lower for store types.

Demand

There is plenty of demand from specialist finishers for store hoggets, with prices ranging from €2.85/kg to €3.20/kg for tail-end or lesser-quality lots and rising as high as €3.50/kg to €3.70/kg for short-keep lowland stores. The trade for cull ewes is benefitting from the vibrant hogget trade.

Heavy ewes are selling from €140 to €170 on average, with top prices on occasion increasing to and exceeding €200/head for small numbers.

Ewes weighing around the 85kg mark range from €115 to €145, depending on condition, with ewes weighing 75kg selling from €100 to €130 for fleshed lots. Fleshed hill ewes and poor-quality lowland ewes are selling from €1/kg to €1.50/kg.