The factory lamb trade has steadied following recent downward pressure.
Base quotes offered by plants at the start of this week remain unchanged at a range of €7.00/kg to €7.20/kg.
When quality assurance (QA) payments are included, lamb quotes range from €7.20/kg to €7.30/kg, with a significant percentage of lambs traded by producers with lower negotiating power and on an individual basis moving lambs within this price range.
Groups and producers with greater negotiating power are securing prices ranging from €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg, with top prices rising 3c/kg to 5c/kg higher including conformation bonuses.
Numbers coming on stream remain relatively low and this is helping to keep a floor under the trade.
Mart sales
This is also evident in mart sales, with managers reporting entries down anywhere from 20% to 40% on normal throughput levels for the time of year.
Top-quality butcher-type lambs are in particularly short supply and this is leading to small numbers of lambs weighing up to 55kg selling from €160 to as high as €180/head.
Ennis Mart
The sale entry of 300 head in Ennis Mart was described as very small for the time of year, with trade on a par with last week.
Factory lambs weighing from 45kg to 47kg sold on average from €150 to €154/head, with heavier lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg selling from €159 to €166, with a handful of top-quality and heavier butcher lambs selling to a top of €181 for lambs weighing 62kg.
Light but fleshed lambs weighing 39kg to 42kg sold from €127 to €133.
Kilkenny Mart
The highest prices were reported in Kilkenny Mart for lambs, with auctioneer George Candler reporting on a batch of 10 super-quality lambs weighing 51kg selling to €193 each or €3.78/kg.
The low sale entry of 400 sheep increased competition between factory agents, with several pens of lambs weighing from 47kg to 55kg selling from €178 to €188.
Demand was also firm for lighter lambs, with lots weighing from 42kg to 45kg reported by George as selling from €146 to €155.
Raphoe Mart
There was a good entry of fleshed lambs weighing from 43kg to 48kg in Raphoe Mart in Co Donegal.
Fleshed lambs weighing 43kg to 45kg sold from €150 to €160/head, with a small selection of lots lacking flesh selling back to €140 and under on a couple of occasions.
Lambs weighing 46kg to 48kg sold in a similar range from €150 to €160/head, with heavier lambs weighing up to 55kg selling from €160 to €166/head and a top of €172 for lambs traded in small numbers.
Prices paid for lighter lambs weighing from 40kg to 43kg are strongly influenced by flesh cover and potential kill-out.
Top-quality lambs sold from €136 to €146, with plainer quality and lots lacking flesh selling back to €128 to €132.
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