A number of mart managers are reporting more competition in the trade for quality, well-fleshed lambs.

This has supported prices increasing by an average of €1 to €2/head in some sales, with the upward movement witnessed most in sales which do not usually benefit from significant interest from butchers and wholesalers.

Top-quality lambs weighing upwards of 48kg to 50kg and capable of killing out at maximum carcase weights are selling from €135 to €144 in marts recording the strongest finished lamb trade.

This reduces to €132 to €138 for marts which are possibly more aligned to store lamb sales or marts with a significant proportion of hill and crossbred lambs.

Store lambs

Buyers for store lambs have also become more selective in places, with weather depressing demand for long-keep lambs.

Forward store lambs weighing upwards of 38kg to 40kg continue to trade on average from €2.60/kg to €2.80/kg for good-quality lowland lambs and back to €2.40/kg to €2.50/kg for crossbreds and €2.20/kg for hill lambs.

Lighter hill lambs continue to struggle. Prices for light lambs weighing less than 30kg range from €1.75/kg to €2/kg depending on condition.

Lowland lambs

Lowland lambs weighing in the low-30kg weight category range anywhere from €2.50/kg to €2.70 in general and as high as €2.80/kg to €3.00/kg for nice-quality ewe lambs.

The number of hoggets on offer has tightened considerably, but there is still active trading. The best-quality lots remain at a price range of €165 to €185, with significant numbers of medium-sized hoggets from €155 to €165 and poor-quality and some light hill types falling back €110 to €130.

Unchanged

The cull ewe trade is unchanged. Heavy ewes are in low supply, with ewes weighing 85kg to 90kg selling from €120 to €140. Lighter ewes weighing in the region of 75kg are selling from €100 to €115 for fleshed types and back to €85 to €90 for feeding ewes lacking flesh. Scottish Blackface ewes and light lowland ewes with a poor cover of flesh are selling from €1/kg to €1.30/kg.