Sheep price update: plenty of deals at €8/kg

There is much more bite in the sheep trade in recent days, with factory agents on the hunt for hoggets.

Significant variation remains between base quotes, but these have nearly become irrelevant in some plants over the last week, with prices paid having little relation to the base price quoted.

At the higher end of the market, sellers handling significant numbers and possessing greater negotiating power are securing returns ranging from €7.90/kg to €8/kg.

There are some deals at the very top end of the market exceeding this range, but they are typically confined to sellers handling very big numbers.

Prices paid to group members range from €7.80/kg to €7.90/kg in the main, but some hoggets are rising to €8/kg by means of bonus of higher payment agreements.

There are very few hoggets moving below €7.80/kg, with an increasing number of sellers struggling to negotiate with plants opting to market sheep live.

Mart sales

Prices reported from Kilkenny Mart exceeded €180/head for hoggets weighing 51kg to 54kg.

Wholesale and butcher buyers were keen for heavier top-quality lots, with prices for hoggets weighing from 56kg to 61kg ranging from €187 to a top of €199 for a batch of 18 hoggets weighing 59kg.

The general run of prices for hoggets weighing from 52kg to 57kg in Athenry Mart, Co Galway, ranged from €177 for plainer-quality types to €184/head for well-fleshed lots, with excellent-quality lots rising to €188/head.