A sale of Mule and Greyface sheep in Ballymena on Saturday saw an average price of £212 paid across 2,349 hoggets sold.

The average price for the annual sale is at a record high and is up £38 on last year’s level.

The highest priced pen of Mule hoggets made £305 and was exhibited by K O’Neill from Racavan.

In the ewe lamb ring, the sale average rose £21 on last year to reach £170. The top price was £318 for a single Suffolk Cheviot from the flock of R Workman, Kilwaughter.

The best-selling pen of ewe lambs saw £250 paid to D and D Robinson from Glenarm.

The lively start to the 2024 breeding sheep sales has been aided by a sustained lift in the fat lamb trade.

All NI factories are now paying to the 22kg weight limit and official base quotes are around the 620p/kg mark. There are reports that 630p/kg is available, although with marts back slightly this week, some factory buyers are now quoting prices of around 610p/kg.