There has been no significant change in the mart trade over the last week.

Lower-than-normal levels of lamb throughput reflect a continued move away from early lambing and reduced lamb performance due to inclement weather.

Tighter-than-normal supplies are maintaining a firm floor under competition.

Heavy, well-fleshed lambs remain a lively trade, with lambs in the 48kg to 50kg-plus weight bracket selling on average from €169 to €177.

Excellent-quality lots and heavier lambs are rising to €180, with odd lots topping this mark.

Lighter lambs weighing 46kg to 48kg are trading from €160 to €170 on average, with the best-quality lots capable of rising above €170. Prices below this weight range are more acutely influenced by condition and potential kill-out.

Young and top-quality lambs weighing 43kg to 44kg are trading from €153 to €160, but lambs lacking flesh and not likely to kill favourably are falling back to €130 to €140 in isolated cases.

A high percentage of hoggets on offer continue to be heavy types weighing in excess of 55kg. Prices remain from €170 to €180, with lighter lots weighing back to 50kg selling from €160 upwards.

Large-framed heavy cull ewes continue to trade in the main from €170 to €200, with small numbers above this.

Lighter ewes weighing around the 80kg mark are selling from €130 to €150, with all lowland ewes with a decent flesh cover above €100/head. Scottish Blackface and thin, poor-quality lowland ewes range from €1/kg to €1.30/kg.

Demand for ewes with lambs at foot is solid, but prices are below recent years.

Twin-lamb units comprising second- or third-crop ewes and relatively young lambs are trading in the main from €240 to €280. Younger ewes or units with aged lambs are rising to €300 and higher, but this has not been a regular occurrence up to now. Light crossbred and hill ewes are selling with twin lambs from €150 to €200 on average.

Single lamb lots range from €180 to €220 for good-quality outfits and up to €250 for young ewes and young lambs.