There have been some very high prices paid for cull ewes over the last week, which are setting the headlines from some sales. Small numbers, or isolated entries, of heavy, top-quality continental ewes have sold as high as €240 to €290/head.

While these prices are the exception, the general trade for cull ewes is performing very strongly, with competition between buyers purchasing ewes for exporting live or to satisfy niche contracts locking horns with factory agents.

Heavier-quality ewes are trading on average from €1.90/kg to €2.05/kg, with certain lots topping €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg. Factory agents are also displaying a greater appetite and in general this is for lighter ewes.

Prices here remain at a range of €1.90/kg to upwards of €2/kg for quality medium weight lowland-type ewes, with crossbreds from €1.70/kg to €2/kg.

Ewes with an average cover of flesh and fleshed Scottish Blackface ewes are selling from€1.55/kg to €1.70/kg for heavier types and back to €1.30/kg for lighter lots.

While ewes lacking considerable flesh cover are back to €1/kg and below. Mart entries are being boosted by the fact that more producers are opting to market ewes live, plus ewes coming on stream post-weaning.

The lamb trade is firmer in most cases, with prices up by €1 to €3/head.

Fleshed lambs weighing upwards of 50kg are selling from €155 to €165 in the main, with a selection of superior-quality lots topping the €170 mark and selling to as high as €180 for small numbers in marts with a vibrant butcher trade.

There is a differential of up to €10/head at the opposite end of the spectrum for poorer-quality lambs.

Typical prices for lambs weighing 44kg to 46kg range from €140 to €150, falling back as low as €130 for poorly-fleshed lots and rising over the €150 mark for top-quality lots. Store lambs sales are growing in number.

Lowland lambs are averaging from €2.94/kg to €3.10/kg, with batches of top-quality, well-presented, lowland lambs selling to €3.20/kg and higher.