The sheep trade started the week with base quotes unchanged and in the region of €8/kg for quality assured (QA) lambs.

However, reports indicate a couple of plants have lowered base quotes for Tuesday by 10c/kg, with others reluctant to quote on Monday for Wednesday or Thursday kill.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants, which, along with Ballon Meats, remain the most consistent plants in terms of offering an official base quote are offering a base of €7.80/kg plus 20c/kg QA for Monday and Tuesday only.

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Reports indicate that groups and regular sellers are meeting more resistance in negotiating above €8.10/kg, with fewer reports of €8.20/kg being paid at the top end of the market.

The two ICM plants are paying to 22kg carcase weight, with other plants inconsistent and paying between 21.5kg and 22kg.

Those with greater negotiating power are having more success in securing the higher weight limit, with some agents said to be using it as a sweetener to move lambs at a lower price.

Mart trade

Kilkenny Mart reported a stickier trade in its sale on Monday, with auctioneer George Candler reporting prices reducing by €2 to €8/head compared with last week.

Top prices at the sale for lambs weighing from 51kg to 57kg ranged in the main from €187 to €192, with one batch hitting €200/head.

Lambs weighing from 49kg to 50kg traded from the mid- to high-€170s and up to the mid-€180s, while quality lambs weighing 46kg to 47kg averaged around the €170 mark.

Athenry Mart

The trade in Athenry Mart in Galway on Monday was slightly easier on the week previous.

There were fewer prices above the €180/head mark, but the trade was still solid.

Lambs weighing 50kg to 53kg sold on average from €172 to €177, with a few lots of heavier lambs and superior-quality lambs rising to and exceeding €180/head.

Fleshed lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg sold in the main from €165 to €170/head.