Factory prices for fat lambs have increased by up to 25p/kg this week, with plants now working from a base of 420p/kg.

Numbers have slowed due to tight grass supplies, while demand has improved in advance of the Eid-Al-Adha festival in late August.

It has meant plants south of the Irish border have also increased their prices, with the base at €5/kg, but €5.15/kg to €5.20/kg on offer to secure numbers.

This converts to a sterling equivalent of 435p to 440p/kg.

As a result, agents buying for southern plants have become more active in NI marts this week with more lambs selling above the £90 mark.

Store lambs

Meanwhile, store lamb sales are underway and early reports indicate that while buyers are cautious, prices are broadly on a par with last year.

Prices paid for short-keep Texel and Suffolk lambs are typically running around £60 to £66 per head with lighter lambs starting from £55.

Armoy Mart had close on 370 lambs last week with a sale average of £60 per head, putting it only £1 to £2 per head below similar sales at this time last year.

However, mart manager Danny McAlister said that sale numbers were down as farmers feared the grazing shortage would have a negative impact on the trade.

Breeding sale

Elsewhere, Suffolk rams sold to 2,000gns at the annual society sale in Ballymena Mart this week.

The champion ram bred by A Gault sold to 1,700gns with the reserve champion for D Taylor selling to 1,900gns. Dorset sheep sold to a top price of 4,000gns for the supreme champion, a ewe lamb bred by R and J Hill, while rams sold to 1,800gns.