Sheep price update: firm start to week with sharper edge to mart sales

The sheep trade has started the week in a firm manner.

Base quotes remain unchanged, ranging from €6.35/kg to €6.50/kg, while quotes for quality assured (QA) lambs range from €6.55/kg to €6.60/kg.

Significant numbers of QA lambs are trading from €6.60/kg to €6.65/kg from sellers trading individually and handling small numbers.

Producers or sellers handling large numbers or trading through groups are securing higher returns ranging from €6.70/kg to €6.75/kg, with top prices for lambs securing conformation bonuses rising at the top of the market to in excess of €6.80/kg.

The two Irish Country Meats and Ballon Meats remain the only plants paying to 23kg carcase weight across the board. Other plants are reported as paying to 23kg in certain cases to secure sales of large batches.

Sharper mart trade

Reports from mart sales held on Monday point to a slightly sharper trade for fleshed top-quality lambs. The standout sale in terms of price was in Cork Marts' Fermoy centre, where the first-prizewinning pen of heavy lambs weighing 60.6kg sold for €315 each.

The second-prized batch of five weighing 56.8kg sold for €200 each, while the hammer fell on the third-prized lambs weighing 58.4kg at €180/head.

A similar price was paid for the first-prizewinning pen of lighter lambs weighing 50.4kg.

The general run of prices for other top-quality lambs weighing upwards of 50kg ranged from €98 to €103 with the weight, with a few lots rising to €105 with the weight. Likewise, lambs lacking significant flesh sold back to €93 to €95 with the weight and lower on occasion.

Athenry Mart

The trade in Athenry was sharper to the tune of €1 to €3/head. Well-fleshed lambs weighing 48kg to 50kg upwards sold in the main from €100 to €103 with the weight, with some excellent-quality lots rising to €105 to €106 with the weight.

The quality of lambs on offer was reported as good, with small numbers of lambs lacking flesh and selling back to €95 with the weight.