Tuam Mart recorded a significant jump in throughput in Tuesday’s evening’s sale, with over 1,500 head on offer.

A vibrant mart trade in recent weeks, underpinned by strong competition between factory agents and butcher or wholesale buyers, has enticed more farmers to sell sheep live.

Higher numbers possibly cooled competition, but agents were still keen not to let any fleshed sheep go home unsold.

The general run of prices for well-fleshed lots weighing 50kg to 56kg was from €150 to €157 or from €100 to €104 over the weight. Lambs lacking significant flesh sold back to €90 over the weight.

Lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg averaged from €140 to €150 and a top of €155 for a pen of top-quality 49kg lambs.

Again, lambs with weight but no flesh cover were €5 to €8 lower and more in cases.

The trade for lambs weighing 40kg to 45kg was steady, with prices ranging from €2.70/kg to €2.90/kg for stores with feeding and back to €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg for lots lacking flesh or hill crosses.

It was a similar story for lighter stores weighing 33kg to 38kg.

Better-quality ewes weighing 85kg to 96kg sold from €142 to €156, with ewes weighing 74kg to 78kg ranging from €110 to €130 on average.

Light lots weighing 60kg to 70kg and short on flesh sold from €1/kg to €1.20/kg.

In pictures

This batch of 25 mainly Suffolk-bred lambs weighing 49.6kg sold for €145 (€2.92/kg).

Five 42kg ewe lambs on left sold for €122 (€2.91/kg), while the 10 Texel-cross lambs on right weighing 37kg sold for €111 (€3/kg).

This batch of 21 Suffolk- and- Texel-cross lambs weighing 52kg sold for €153 (€2.94/kg).

This batch of 21 mainly Texel-cross ewe lambs weighing 43.5kg sold for €121 (€2.78/kg).

Four 38.5kg Charollais store lambs on left sold for €104 (€2.70/kg). The nine fleshed Texel-cross ewe lambs weighing 54.5kg on right sold for €156 (€2.86/kg).

These 16 mainly Suffolk-cross lambs averaging 45kg sold for €128 (€2.84/kg).