Sheep mart prices: more life entering the trade for hoggets

There is more life in the hogget trade, with reports indicating that sales held as the week is progressing are recording a stronger trade.

This is coming on the back of a slight increase in factory quotes, with agents displaying more appetite for hoggets.

Mart managers report sales held on Tuesday and Wednesday recorded a marginal increase in prices, with fleshed hoggets on average €1 to €2/head dearer. Demand is also being helped by relatively tight supplies.

The general run of prices for hoggets weighing upwards of 50kg is in the region of €138 to €143, with top prices rising to the mid- to high-€140s and higher in sales with a strong butcher-buyer presence.

Hoggets lacking flesh continue to lag well behind these prices, with a differential of up to €10/ head evident where hoggets are short on flesh.

Hoggets weighing 48kg to 49kg and capable of achieving a good kill-out are trading from €135 to €140/head and, again, hoggets lacking flesh and crossbred types with a poorer kill-out potential are trading back to €130.

In-lamb ewes remain a good buy, with this category of stock recording the highest level of sheep returning home from sales unsold.

There is big variation in prices reported depending on quality, age and lambing date.

Nice-quality hoggets and first-crop ewes are being bid to prices ranging from €160 to €180, with prices of €200 rare.

Demand for ewes with lambs at foot is slowly increasing, as are prices.

The general run of prices reported for young ewes with strong single lambs at foot is €170 to €220, with twin lamb units ranging on average from €200 for units with aged ewes and young lambs to €250 to €280 for better-quality types and as high as €300 and over where young ewes and strong lambs are offered.

Cull ewes

Cull ewes are solid. Heavy ewes weighing 85kg to 90kg are trading from €130 to €160, with heavy ewes weighing upwards of 100kg selling to €200 and higher in isolated cases. Light ewes and Scottish Blackface ewes continue to sell from 85c/kg to €1.20/kg.