Sheep mart prices: hoggets ease as ewes power on

The hogget trade in marts continues to be overshadowed by the trade for cull ewes. Average prices have increased in many sales by 5c/kg to 10c/kg, with demand outstripping supplies.

An increasing percentage of good-quality fleshed lowland ewes are trading from €2.60/kg to €2.80/kg, with greater numbers now selling to €3/kg.

Exceeding this price point was a rarity in sales heretofore, but a price of €3/kg to €3.15/kg has been recorded on a handful of occasions in sales in recent days.

The prime candidates are not necessarily the heaviest ewes, with well-conformed and young ewes or pedigree ewes capable of delivering U grading carcases meeting excellent demand.

There are very few lowland ewes selling below €2/kg, with the exception of isolated entries of boner-type ewes.

Scottish Blackface ewes are also rising in price, with heavier types selling from €1.70/kg to now breaching €2/kg and back to €1.30/kg to €1.50/kg for light carcase ewes and those in poor condition.

Agents remain keen for hoggets, but continue to be more coy in their purchasing behaviour.

The general run of prices paid for quality hoggets weighing upwards of 50kg is €198 to €204/head.

Heavier lots and ewe lambs with breeding potential are rising to €210, with infrequent entries of such type sheep rising to €215 and higher.

The favourable weather and tighter supplies of store hoggets has inserted more demand into this trade, despite the pressure on finished hogget prices.

Good-quality store hoggets are trading from €3.70/kg to €3.90/kg, with plainer-quality types selling back to €3.50/kg.

Numbers of ewes with lambs at foot are slowly increasing with solid demand present.

Single-lamb outfits continue to trade from €250 to €330 for large-framed and young ewes with strong lambs at foot and falling back to €200 and under for aged and poor-quality lots.

Twin-lamb lots are exceeding €400 at the top end of the market, with high numbers selling from €280 to €350 and reaching as high as €450 for lots with a good potential cull ewe value and aged lambs.