There was a lively lamb trade in Macroom Mart on Wednesday last for the mid-Cork mart's weekly sheep sale.

Factory buyers were active at the ringside for suitable lambs, while there was strong farmer demand for store lambs.

Demand was very strong for both factory and store lambs, with most lowland lambs selling for between €3.20/kg and €3.45/kg, with a few exceptional lots breaking this upper threshold.

The top end of crossbred lambs broke €3/kg, with hill lambs a bit further behind.

Speaking after the sale, manager Jerh O’Sullivan said: "Our sheep numbers are growing and we’ve got good support.

“We’ve had a number of factory agents at ringside all year and they kept a good foundation on our sheep sale. Over the last month then, we’ve really started to see farmer buyers become more active as grass growth has improved."

Bypass help

The opening of the Macroom bypass has been a help, he felt, with the mart now halfway between the Jack Lynch tunnel and Killarney.

“We have a good road network and a lot of sheep are travelling here to be sold. We’re developing a reputation as a good sheep mart and our customer base is broad, with local finishers in east Cork and a lot of our sheep going to the likes of Wexford, Carlow Kilkenny and Kildare. Some are going up the west too.

"Numbers have increased and we’ve had people buying sheep this year that didn’t for five or six years and more young faces too.

"We had 75 sellers and 50 buyers when we added it up the other evening and that level of competition is great. Long may that continue.”

Strong factory prices in spring probably resulted in some breeding stock being cashed in on and he said that is being reflected now in the demand for replacements.

Macroom Mart also had a breeding sheep sale on Thursday night last, where there were 80 rams on offer, along with hogget ewes and a pair of clearance sales.

“We had a 90% clearance for the rams and 75% on the ewe side, with a top price of €350 for ewes and €810 was our highest-priced ram.

"We pencilled in three of them and I’ve been delighted with the support and we’re hoping to grow it a little bit more. Our first breeding sale was packed at the end of August and we had a 90% clearance.

"It would give you a lift to see there was that many people interested. There was a good bit of interest in the mules and grey faces - a lot of farmers are starting to buy them.”

The final sheep breeding sale in Macroom takes place on 26 September.

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