Supplies of well-fleshed slaughter-fit lambs remain tight, with agents and butcher or wholesale buyers locking horns with greater intensity.

This was most apparent in Kilkenny Mart, where auctioneer George Candler reported on “an extremely lively trade”, including a batch of 10 lambs weighing 64kg hitting a top price of €200/head.

The sale was not just a flash in the pan, with at least four other batches comprising over 60 lambs weighing 50kg to 56kg selling from €190 to €199/head.

The trade was also sharper for lighter fleshed lots, with lambs weighing 44kg to 46kg reported as trading from €147 to upwards of €153/head.

The store lamb trade has also recorded significant upward momentum over the last week. Lambs weighing 35kg to 38kg sold in a brisk trade, with good-quality lowland types selling in the main from €3.60/kg to €3.70/kg.

Factory trade

The factory trade is firm, with base quotes continuing to range from €7.30/kg to €7.50/kg for quality assured lambs.

The majority of plants are operating in the region of €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg for individual sales comprising smaller numbers, while groups and regular sellers are receiving upwards of €7.40/kg.

U grading lambs and deals involving large batches of fleshed lambs traded by regular sellers are rising to €7.50/kg, with prices at the top end of the market hitting €7.60/kg.

The majority of plants are holding paid carcase weight limits at 22.5kg, but are willing to pay to 23kg to get sales over the line with regular sellers.

The two Irish Country Meats plants in Camolin and Navan have moved to 23kg carcase weight across the board.