Mart managers report a much brighter tone to sales held on Tuesday and Wednesday, with agents exhibiting greater demand for finished hoggets.

Prices have stabilised in the main and, in many cases, firmed by €1 to €3/head for top-quality lots, which are in short supply.

The general run of prices for good-quality hoggets weighing 50kg to 52kg is from €202 to €209.

Select lots of excellent-quality lots and heavier types are selling to €213 to €215, with higher prices paid on rare occasions.

Hoggets weighing 48kg to 49kg traded in the main from €190 to €200, with some lots falling back to €185/head and likewise superior-quality lots rising to €205/head.

Store lambs weighing 42kg to 44kg are selling on average from €165 to €175/head, with a few lots rising to €180/head.

Numbers of store lambs have increased in some sales and are being met with keen demand.

Good-quality lowland stores ranged in price from €3.90/kg to €4.10/kg, with crossbred and light lambs from €3.60/kg to upwards of €4/kg, depending on condition, while Scotch lambs are selling from €3/kg to €3.60/kg for light stores and higher with stores capable of carrying good weight.

Cull ewe trade

The cull ewe trade is solid and if anything is a bit sharper in many marts after a brief lull in recent weeks.

Fleshed lowland ewes are selling in the main from €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg, with small numbers rising to €2.80/kg and higher for individual or small lots of highly conformed ewes.

Plainer-quality ewes are selling back to €2/kg, while ewes lacking flesh range from €1.40/kg to €1.80/kg and back to €1/kg for poor-quality Scottish Blackface types.

A clearance sale of 180 in-lamb ewes in Roscrea Mart on Wednesday saw mixed batches of second-, third- and fourth-crop lowland and crossbred ewes carrying about 1.5 lambs selling in the main from €250 to €300 and a top price of €335, with a few batches of Scottish Blackface sheep back to €150 to €180. These prices are in broadly line with the trade for in-lamb ewes nationally.