Reports from mart managers indicate that lamb prices have rebounded to the tune of €2 to €3/head this week.

This follows a level of uncertainty entering the trade last week on the back of a significant reduction in factory price quotes.

Some sales have recorded a differential in prices paid depending on the level of butcher and wholesaler activity.

However, the general run of prices for lambs weighing in the region of 50kg has been from €100 to €105 over the weight for top-quality lots.

This has increased in cases to €107 to €110 over the weight in isolated cases for top-quality butcher-type lambs, while, at the opposite end of the quality spectrum, plainer-quality types lacking flesh have sold back to €90 over the weight.

Mart managers also report the keenest demand for lambs weighing from 47kg to 52kg.

Prices are averaging around the €3/kg mark, with top-quality lighter lowland types selling to €3.20/kg to €3.30/kg

This is not to say that agents are not active for heavier lambs, but where butchers are not, prices for these types are topping out at €100 to €103 over the weight or a top of €157 to €160/head, with occasional lots exceeding this range.

The store lambs trade has strengthened again, with specialist finishers increasing activity. This is true for both light and short-keep store lambs.

Prices are averaging around the €3/kg mark, with top-quality lighter lowland types selling to €3.20/kg to €3.30/kg, while some plainer crossbred types are selling from €2.80/kg upwards.

Cull ewe trade

The cull ewe trade is steady, but some marts reported a tighter price range, with heavy ewes selling from €140 to €165/head and fewer prices above this range.

A clearance sale for a Cheviot ewe flock in Tullow Mart on Tuesday recorded a flying trade

Ewes weighing around 80kg are selling from €120 to €140/head, with top-quality lots hitting €150 and higher, while Scottish Blackface ewes are trading from €1/kg to €1.30/kg to €1.40/kg for heavier types.

A clearance sale for a Cheviot ewe flock in Tullow Mart on Tuesday recorded a flying trade.

Third- and fourth-crop Cheviot ewes carrying two lambs and due to lamb from 1 March to Suffolk rams sold from €335 to €345, while ewes carrying 1.5 to 1.7 lambs sold from €290 to €310/head.

This is well ahead of general sales, where good-quality in-lamb ewes are trading in the region of €180 to €220 for twin-lamb lots.