Several mart managers report that while throughput continues to increase seasonally, it is not keeping in line with the pace at which demand is increasing. This is relevant to all categories, with buyers also appearing earlier than normal and looking for breeding ewes and hoggets.

However, it is store lambs that continue to make headlines. Grass supplies and beef farmers dipping into the market is fuelling demand, with prices holding solidly despite the higher numbers.

Good-quality lowland lambs weighing 30kg to 38kg are selling from €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg on average, with crossbred and hill types selling from €2.10/kg for plainer-quality lots to €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg for better-quality types.

Demand has also lifted for ewe lambs with breeding potential, with some managers saying that farmers anticipate a stronger hogget trade.

Ewe lambs are attracting a €3 to €5 premium and even higher where lambs are batched evenly on type, weight and size.

Where hoggets have traded, prices range from €170 for light types to upwards of €190 to €200 for large-framed hoggets weighing in excess of 70kg to 75kg.

Breeding ewes are selling from €120 to €160 for second- and third-crop ewes, with quality first-crop ewes suitable for early lambing hitting €170 to €180 in places.

Getting back to the lamb trade, fleshed lambs weighing 45kg to 48kg are selling anywhere from €108 to €118. There is variation between marts with heavier lambs ranging from €115 to €122 and hitting as high as €125 in cases for top-quality butcher-type lambs.

The cull ewe trade is solid, with fleshed lots selling from €95 to €115 for medium-sized ewes and large-framed ewes selling to a top of €125 to €130. Feeding ewes are also in demand, with lowland ewes with a good mouth and feet selling from €70 to €90.