There are varying reports on the strength of the sheep trade at the start of this week.
Factory quotes are unchanged, with opening prices for quality assured (QA) lambs still in the region of €7.70/kg to €7.80/kg.
There is a declining number of sheep moving at the lower quote, with a high percentage of sellers trading upwards of €7.80/kg for QA lambs.
Producer groups and regular sellers are being paid €7.90/kg to €8/kg, with agents continuing to strongly resist exceeding the €8/kg mark.
There are deals being completed above this level, but they are mainly confined to sellers handling very large numbers or for U or E grading lambs securing a higher group bonus payment.
Some marts held on Monday are reporting a sharper trade, with this particularly the case where butchers or wholesalers are sourcing lambs ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Kilkenny Mart auctioneer George Candler reported prices increasing by €4 to €6/head on last week’s returns for an entry of 480 head.
George reported lambs weighing from 50kg upwards selling from €177 to €209, with the top price paid for a batch of 14 lambs weighing 57kg, while quality fleshed lambs weighing from 45kg to 49kg were reported as selling from €164 to €173/head.
Ennis Mart
Ennis Mart also reported a keener appetite from buyers for an entry of 600 head.
The mart reports that there was a higher number of heavy lambs on offer, with prices averaging at €3.37/kg. The pick of these was a batch of four ram lambs weighing 59kg which sold for €223/head.
Lambs weighing from 49kg to 57kg sold from €176 to €182 in the main, with choice lots rising to €188/head.
There was a strong entry of almost 80 lots of lambs for sale in Athenry Mart in Co Galway.
The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 50kg to 56kg was from €172 to €180, with select lots of excellent-quality and heavier lambs rising to the mid-€180s.
This batch of top-quality Charollais-cross lambs weighing 57kg sold for €209 each.
These five clean Charollais lambs weighing 54kg sold for €199 each.
Weighing 51kg on average, these crossbred lambs sold for €183 each.
These heavy Charollais-cross lambs weighing 59kg sold for €205 each in Kilkenny Mart.
This batch of mainly Charollais-cross lambs weighing 50kg sold for €179 each.
Weighing 45kg, this batch of 22 mixed breed lambs sold for €157 each.
Weighing 59kg, these top-quality Texel lambs sold for €223 each.
These well-fleshed lambs weighing 57kg on average sold for €188 each.
This batch of mixed breed lambs weighing 57.5kg sold for €184 each.
These well-fleshed crossbred lambs weighing 54.5kg sold for €178 each.
These Texel-cross lambs weighing 57.5kg on average sold for €177 each.
These good-quality Texel-cross lambs weighing 51.5kg sold for €175 each.
This batch of Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 52kg sold for €173 each.
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There are varying reports on the strength of the sheep trade at the start of this week.
Factory quotes are unchanged, with opening prices for quality assured (QA) lambs still in the region of €7.70/kg to €7.80/kg.
There is a declining number of sheep moving at the lower quote, with a high percentage of sellers trading upwards of €7.80/kg for QA lambs.
Producer groups and regular sellers are being paid €7.90/kg to €8/kg, with agents continuing to strongly resist exceeding the €8/kg mark.
There are deals being completed above this level, but they are mainly confined to sellers handling very large numbers or for U or E grading lambs securing a higher group bonus payment.
Some marts held on Monday are reporting a sharper trade, with this particularly the case where butchers or wholesalers are sourcing lambs ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Kilkenny Mart auctioneer George Candler reported prices increasing by €4 to €6/head on last week’s returns for an entry of 480 head.
George reported lambs weighing from 50kg upwards selling from €177 to €209, with the top price paid for a batch of 14 lambs weighing 57kg, while quality fleshed lambs weighing from 45kg to 49kg were reported as selling from €164 to €173/head.
Ennis Mart
Ennis Mart also reported a keener appetite from buyers for an entry of 600 head.
The mart reports that there was a higher number of heavy lambs on offer, with prices averaging at €3.37/kg. The pick of these was a batch of four ram lambs weighing 59kg which sold for €223/head.
Lambs weighing from 49kg to 57kg sold from €176 to €182 in the main, with choice lots rising to €188/head.
There was a strong entry of almost 80 lots of lambs for sale in Athenry Mart in Co Galway.
The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 50kg to 56kg was from €172 to €180, with select lots of excellent-quality and heavier lambs rising to the mid-€180s.
This batch of top-quality Charollais-cross lambs weighing 57kg sold for €209 each.
These five clean Charollais lambs weighing 54kg sold for €199 each.
Weighing 51kg on average, these crossbred lambs sold for €183 each.
These heavy Charollais-cross lambs weighing 59kg sold for €205 each in Kilkenny Mart.
This batch of mainly Charollais-cross lambs weighing 50kg sold for €179 each.
Weighing 45kg, this batch of 22 mixed breed lambs sold for €157 each.
Weighing 59kg, these top-quality Texel lambs sold for €223 each.
These well-fleshed lambs weighing 57kg on average sold for €188 each.
This batch of mixed breed lambs weighing 57.5kg sold for €184 each.
These well-fleshed crossbred lambs weighing 54.5kg sold for €178 each.
These Texel-cross lambs weighing 57.5kg on average sold for €177 each.
These good-quality Texel-cross lambs weighing 51.5kg sold for €175 each.
This batch of Charollais-cross ewe lambs weighing 52kg sold for €173 each.
Read more
Bluetongue virus – the trade implications for live exports in Northern Ireland
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