Many mart sales held over the last week show an increase in the number of slaughter-fit hoggets on offer.
Managers comment that the lure of potentially higher returns and low initial quotes offered by some factories drove interest in mart sales, with a significant differential present between live and dead prices before this week’s jump in base quotes.
Heavier hoggets weighing from 53kg to 55kg upwards are trading on average from €208 to €220/head, with the best-quality lots rising to €225 and higher on occasion.
Lighter lots weighing from 50kg to 53kg are trading from €205 to €215/head in the main, with agents keen to get their hands on higher numbers.
Plainer-quality types are in cases selling back to €200/head, with some hill lambs with lower slaughter potential ranging in price from €190 to upwards of €200/head.
The lift in finished lamb prices is inserting much more life into the trade for store lambs.
Good-quality stores are selling from €3.80/kg to €4/kg-plus, with buyers especially anxious for short-keep lambs suitable for turning out for the Easter market.
The cull ewe trade has also firmed following upward movement in factory quotes.
Good-quality lowland ewes are selling on average from €2.20/kg to €2.50/kg, with excellent-quality ewes capable of delivering high-quality carcases rising to €2.70/kg and hitting as high as €3/kg for young ewes or pedigree types.
There are very few ewes with any reasonable cover of flesh selling below €2/kg, with hill ewes now selling from €1.60/kg for light ewes to €1.90/kg to €2.25/kg for ewes capable of delivering a heavier carcase weight. Boner-types are selling from €1.20/kg to €1.50/kg on average.
The trade for in-lamb ewes is unchanged. Large-framed second- and third-crop ewes are selling on average from €230 to €300 for ewes carrying 1.5 to two lambs, with young hogget ewes ranging from €250 for crossbred types to €350-plus for quality lowland lots.
Poorer-quality lots lacking flesh cover and a significant distance from lambing are falling back below €200/head with low demand present.
Many mart sales held over the last week show an increase in the number of slaughter-fit hoggets on offer.
Managers comment that the lure of potentially higher returns and low initial quotes offered by some factories drove interest in mart sales, with a significant differential present between live and dead prices before this week’s jump in base quotes.
Heavier hoggets weighing from 53kg to 55kg upwards are trading on average from €208 to €220/head, with the best-quality lots rising to €225 and higher on occasion.
Lighter lots weighing from 50kg to 53kg are trading from €205 to €215/head in the main, with agents keen to get their hands on higher numbers.
Plainer-quality types are in cases selling back to €200/head, with some hill lambs with lower slaughter potential ranging in price from €190 to upwards of €200/head.
The lift in finished lamb prices is inserting much more life into the trade for store lambs.
Good-quality stores are selling from €3.80/kg to €4/kg-plus, with buyers especially anxious for short-keep lambs suitable for turning out for the Easter market.
The cull ewe trade has also firmed following upward movement in factory quotes.
Good-quality lowland ewes are selling on average from €2.20/kg to €2.50/kg, with excellent-quality ewes capable of delivering high-quality carcases rising to €2.70/kg and hitting as high as €3/kg for young ewes or pedigree types.
There are very few ewes with any reasonable cover of flesh selling below €2/kg, with hill ewes now selling from €1.60/kg for light ewes to €1.90/kg to €2.25/kg for ewes capable of delivering a heavier carcase weight. Boner-types are selling from €1.20/kg to €1.50/kg on average.
The trade for in-lamb ewes is unchanged. Large-framed second- and third-crop ewes are selling on average from €230 to €300 for ewes carrying 1.5 to two lambs, with young hogget ewes ranging from €250 for crossbred types to €350-plus for quality lowland lots.
Poorer-quality lots lacking flesh cover and a significant distance from lambing are falling back below €200/head with low demand present.
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