The pressure on prices in the factories is having a greater influence on the mart trade as the week progresses.

Some sales which reported a particularly sharp trade in recent weeks are reporting spring lamb and hogget prices back by as much as €7 to €10 per head, while others report prices falling by an average of €5 to €6 per head.

Heavier spring lambs weighing 47kg to upwards of 50kg are reported as ranging in general from €130 to €135 for fleshed lots, with select pens of exceptional-quality lots attracting butcher attention rising to €137 to €138.

Lighter lots weighing 42kg to 45kg range on average from €117 to €125, with lambs weighing 38kg to 41kg ranging anywhere from €110 to €120.

The level of finish and potential kill-out is having a big influence on the price paid with a differential of €5 to €8 evident in cases between well-fleshed and lesser-quality lambs presented at the same weight.

Hogget numbers are falling quickly in many areas. Prices reported for hoggets weighing 50kg and higher range on average from €125 to €134. Select pens are exceeding this range, while there is strong demand for ewe hoggets with breeding potential, with prices rising to a top of €150 to €160.

Cull ewes remain a firm trade with tight numbers helping to keep a floor under the trade. Well-fleshed heavy ewes range from €115 to €135 on average, with isolated deals reported as high as €140 to €150 for exceptional lots. Medium-sized ewes with a good cover of flesh are selling back to €90 to €110, while healthy ewes lacking flesh or feeding types are selling from €60 per upwards.

Ewes with lambs at foot are also scarce on the ground. Prices for young ewes with lambs a few weeks old at foot range from €200 to €240, with good single-unit lots from €150 to €180. Plainer-quality offerings with aged and poorer-quality ewes are €50 to €60 lower.