Sheep prices recorded in mart sales held on Tuesday and Wednesday were on average €7 to €10 per head easier on the previous week.

A number of mart managers also reported sale entries being anywhere from 30% to 40% lower than the previous week with farmers targeting peak buying for Eid al-Adha to market lambs.

Factory agents remained keen for sheep, helped by the lower numbers shown, but were coyer in their purchasing behaviour.

Prices for fleshed good-quality lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg upwards and killing out at maximum paid carcase weights ranged in price from €157 to €164 with some sales recording prices rising to €170 where butchers / wholesalers were driving the trade.

The trade for lighter lambs was influenced strongly by potential slaughter performance.

Lambs weighing from 45kg to 47kg sold anywhere from €148 to €160 while lighter lots weighing from 43kg to 44kg recorded a wider differential selling from €130 to €137 for lambs lacking flesh cover to the mid to high €140s for young, fleshed lambs.

Store lambs

Numbers of store lambs are slowly increasing and are being met by positive demand. Nice-quality continental lambs weighing 34kg to 38kg are trading from €105 to €115 with prices for crossbred or lesser quality lambs falling back to €90 to €100 per head.

Numbers are expected to steadily increase in the coming weeks as weaning in mid-season flocks takes place. Mart managers already point to more interest for lambs batched on type and gender.

The ewe trade has eased slightly in response to factories lowering ewe quotes and the fact that the focus over Eid al-Adha was on lambs.

Prices for heavier ewes weighing 90kg to 100kg range from €150 to €175 on average with top-quality ewes in sales with live exporter activity rising to €200 and slightly higher on occasion.

Lighter ewes weighing 80kg are trading from €120 to €145 on average.

Ewes lacking considerable flesh cover and Scottish Blackface ewes are trading from about €1/kg to €1.30/kg.