The sheep trade has started the week in a frantic manner.

Factory agents were quoting a base price of €9.50/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment over the weekend but this failed to attract their required numbers on to the market.

Wholesale buyers and live exporters also ramped up purchasing activity in the previous days – leaving the factory price lagging behind the mart trade.

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In a bid to stay in contention, factory agents increased their base quote to €9.70/kg plus their 20c/kg QA payment on Monday.

This has left regular sellers and groups trading in the region of €10/kg to €10.10/kg for QA lambs.

The two Irish Country Meats plants in Camolin and Navan also increased carcase weight payment terms to 21.5kg for groups. The two factors combined increased the value of a lamb carcase utilising the full weight allowance by upwards of €9.

The lag in lamb numbers climbing is generating more demand for hoggets.

Base quotes are unchanged at an opening price of €9/kg plus 20c/kg QA.

Farmers handling numbers are securing returns of €9.30/kg to €9.40/kg with possibly higher being paid to finishers handling large numbers and supplying lighter hoggets killing at less than 23kg carcase weight.

Mart trade

The mart trade on Monday was dominated in many sales by wholesale buyers competing with factory agents, while live exporters were also active in a few places.

Heavier lambs in Kilkenny Mart weighing from 48kg to 50kg plus sold from €220 to €236 on average, with lambs weighing up to 55kg selling to a top of €254.

Lambs weighing from 42kg to 45kg sold from €210 to €224 on average.

Athenry Mart in Co Galway also witnessed a much sharper trade. The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 44kg to 46kg ranged from €214 to €226, with a few lots rising to €229 per head.

Heavier lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg sold from €225 to €234 depending on quality, while a few lots of excellent-quality lots hit €250 per head plus for heavy lambs weighing in the mid-50kg weight range.

Ennis mart

It was a similar case in Ennis mart, with lambs weighing around the 45kg mark selling anywhere from €208 to €224 depending on quality; heavier lambs weighing to 50kg sold to the mid-€230s and higher on occasion.

Lighter lambs weighing back to 42kg sold from upwards of €200 per head.