The store lamb trade is strong with prices following the fat lamb trade and ahead of last year’s levels.

So far this season, 16kg half weight store lambs have generally been making around £60 with forward stores at around 19kg half weight making around £72. Generally, lambs have been selling for 375p/kg to 380p/kg half weight.

However, the store lamb trade could ease over the coming weeks as fat lamb prices come under pressure.

Factory quotes have already reduced from 390p/kg to 395p/kg last week to betwen 375p/kg and 390p/kg at the beginning of this week due to more numbers coming on to the market and reduced demand due to the end of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival.

Plumbridge

In Plumbridge mart last Thursday, the strong trade for stores continued across a slightly smaller show of 1,140 lambs.

There was a good crowd around the ring with an increased number of farmers present looking to buy stores to finish off grass.

The run of lambs on the day appeared to be around 18kg to 20kg half weight, were Texel or Suffolk crosses, and made from £67 to £72.

Some lambs close to finishing made strong prices including a pen of 10 Texel ewe and ram lambs that sold for £78.50.

Top prices were paid for pens of ewe lambs that had the potential to be kept for breeding. For example, a pen of 12 Suffolk cross ewe lambs sold for £83 and another pen of 16 went for £81.

Lighter weights

Prices reduced for lambs with lighter weights and less conformation. A pen of 12 Mule ram lambs went for £56.50, although another pen of stronger Mule ram lambs made £63.

The lightest lambs on offer were a good trade accordingly, with a pen of Suffolk cross ewe and ram lambs, around 14kg half weight, sold for £51.50.