Sheep mart comment: finished lambs break €200 mark

A movement upwards in price in factories has had a ripple effect on live lamb trade, with marts now reporting that finished lambs have broken the €200/head barrier.

While this is still very much for select lots, marts have witnessed the top price for lambs in some sales reach and exceed the €200/head mark for lambs weighing 52kg to 57kg with excellent flesh covering.

Kilkenny Mart saw €206/head being paid for a pen of 21 lambs weighing 57kg on Monday last.

Lesser-quality types or uneven groups weighing from 50kg to 55kg are selling from €190 to €198/head in the main.

Lambs possessing hill genetics of this weight are trading in the mid- to high €180s.

Agents are still active for well-fleshed lambs in the 46kg to 50kg weight bracket as well, with quality lots of this weight selling between €185 and €192/head.

Good-quality store lambs of lowland breeding are trading between €3.60/kg and €4/kg, with the upper end of prices being paid for clean, well-presented and even lambs with a good covering of flesh already present.

Keen demand is being seen for short-keep stores in the 42kg to 45kg bracket.

Some quality types with potential as breeding hoggets next year are broaching the €4/kg mark.

Light hill-type stores and those with a small frame are trading in general from €2.80/kg to €3.30/kg, with the upper end of prices being paid for lambs with good frames that will take intensive feeding, with those at the lower end of price generally being long-keep types.

Little has changed in the cull ewe trade this week, with numbers still on the low side compared with a number of weeks ago.

Well-fleshed, heavy lowland ewes are generally selling from €1.90/kg to €2.30/kg, with some rare occasions seeing higher.

Buyers have had to move to lower weight ewes (60kg to 75kg) to fill orders.

Store-type lots are trading from €1.50/kg to €1.70/kg, with hill-type ewes trading anywhere between €1/kg for aged ewes lacking flesh, up to €1.50/kg and above for factory-fit types.