There is more life reported in mart sales this week, with factory agents competing with greater intensity and a keener appetite also evident from wholesale buyers.
Mart managers report prices firming by €1 to €3/head on average, with certain classes of hoggets also attracting butcher buyer attention up in cases by a higher figure.
Marts with an active wholesale buyer trade have witnessed hogget prices rise above the €180/head mark, with such buyers outbidding factory agents and paying anywhere from €180 to €187/head for hoggets weighing from 50kg to 56kg. Heavier lots have on occasion risen to and exceeded the €190 mark.
Prices have increased to a lesser extent in sales dominated by buying from factory agents but have still moved upwards. Here, prices for hoggets weighing from 50kg to 54kg range in the main from €175 to €180, with agents reluctant to go above this level.
Average store prices have firmed by 5c/kg to possibly 10c/kg in places. Good-quality lowland stores are selling in the main from €3.45/kg to €3.70/kg, with some plainer-quality small-framed hoggets selling back to €3/kg to €3.10/kg.
Well-presented Scottish Blackface stores are trading from €3.25/kg to €3.40/kg and are also selling quicker. Again, plain-quality types are selling back to €3/kg.
There is also more life in the cull ewe trade, with higher numbers of ewes capable of delivering well-conformed carcases achieving prices of €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg.
Crossbred-type ewes are selling from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg, with very few lowland ewes with any reasonable cover of flesh falling below €2/kg.
Stronger Scottish Blackface ewes are selling from €1.50/kg to €1.80/kg and higher for heavier ewes, while ewes lacking considerable flesh cover are selling back to €1/kg to €1.20/kg.
The trade for in-lamb ewes is variable. There is some keen demand for large-framed young ewes, with hoggets and first-crops selling from €280 to €350.
Older ewes are selling back to €200 to €270 depending on age and litter size, with sluggish demand for poor lots.
There is more life reported in mart sales this week, with factory agents competing with greater intensity and a keener appetite also evident from wholesale buyers.
Mart managers report prices firming by €1 to €3/head on average, with certain classes of hoggets also attracting butcher buyer attention up in cases by a higher figure.
Marts with an active wholesale buyer trade have witnessed hogget prices rise above the €180/head mark, with such buyers outbidding factory agents and paying anywhere from €180 to €187/head for hoggets weighing from 50kg to 56kg. Heavier lots have on occasion risen to and exceeded the €190 mark.
Prices have increased to a lesser extent in sales dominated by buying from factory agents but have still moved upwards. Here, prices for hoggets weighing from 50kg to 54kg range in the main from €175 to €180, with agents reluctant to go above this level.
Average store prices have firmed by 5c/kg to possibly 10c/kg in places. Good-quality lowland stores are selling in the main from €3.45/kg to €3.70/kg, with some plainer-quality small-framed hoggets selling back to €3/kg to €3.10/kg.
Well-presented Scottish Blackface stores are trading from €3.25/kg to €3.40/kg and are also selling quicker. Again, plain-quality types are selling back to €3/kg.
There is also more life in the cull ewe trade, with higher numbers of ewes capable of delivering well-conformed carcases achieving prices of €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg.
Crossbred-type ewes are selling from €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg, with very few lowland ewes with any reasonable cover of flesh falling below €2/kg.
Stronger Scottish Blackface ewes are selling from €1.50/kg to €1.80/kg and higher for heavier ewes, while ewes lacking considerable flesh cover are selling back to €1/kg to €1.20/kg.
The trade for in-lamb ewes is variable. There is some keen demand for large-framed young ewes, with hoggets and first-crops selling from €280 to €350.
Older ewes are selling back to €200 to €270 depending on age and litter size, with sluggish demand for poor lots.
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