Reports from mart managers holding sales over the weekend point to tighter numbers of fleshed lambs inserting more competition into the trade.

Prices firmed anywhere from €1 to €3 per head - with some sales experiencing a greater price lift for top-quality fleshed lambs.

Factories are trying hard to keep a lid on price but there are cracks appearing with reports indicating sellers handling significant numbers are having more success in negotiating higher.

Reports indicate there are more sellers handling large numbers securing 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher at the start of the week.

Returns of upwards of €7.40/kg are much more frequent with prices at the top end of the market hitting €7.50/kg and higher.

The two Irish Country Meats plants moved to 23kg carcase weight last week. Many other plants have moved to 22.5kg while top-priced deals are in cases paying to 23kg carcase weight.

These prices are in contrast to base quotes offered to groups and sellers with lower negotiating power with factories as yet resisting pressure from groups leaving coordinators increasingly frustrated.

Base quotes for quality assured (QA) lambs range from €7.20/kg to €7.30/kg with groups and sellers with weaker negotiating power securing returns averaging around the €7.30/kg mark for R grade lambs, with groups paid 10c/kg to 12c/kg higher for U grades.

Northern Ireland

It is a similar situation in Northern Ireland. Factories continue to quote a base of £5.90/kg or the equivalent of €7.03/kg at 83.9p to the euro.

An increasing number of sellers are negotiating £6/kg (€7.15/kg) with sellers trading at the top end of the market moving to £6.10/kg. Their cause is being helped by firm agents from buyers purchasing lambs for exporting to Ireland for direct slaughter.

Ewe trade

The live ewe trade is marginally sharper with more good-quality fleshed ewes topping the €2/kg mark. Factory quotes are typically in the region of €3.70/kg to €3.90/kg for good-quality ewes with prices at the top end of the market rising upwards of €4/kg and to a high of €4.40/kg in Ballon Meats.