Factories have moved to take another 10c/kg out of the price for hoggets with base quotes for Tuesday reducing by 10c/kg.

This leaves most plants trying to open negotiations for quality assured (QA) hoggets at a base of €8.60/kg to €8.70/kg.

Groups and regular sellers are trading in the region of €8.75/kg to €8.80/kg with reports indicating that sellers handling large numbers and possessing strong negotiating power are securing returns above this range.

Procurement agents have become more vocal in their opposition of hoggets that they deem overweight and overfat.

Some plants are talking about penalties for hoggets which they deem of an excessive weight while others are discussing the possibility of weights being capped at 23.5kg carcase weight.

Mart trade

Numbers in the market are small and this is also the case in mart sales.

Ennis Mart in Co Clare reported an entry of 350 head in their sheep sale on Monday. The mart commented that there was a lot of hoggets lacking flesh in the sale which reduced average prices paid.

Good-quality hoggets weighing from 50kg upwards sold in the main from €200 to €210 with a top price of €220 paid for a batch of 11 heavy hoggets weighing 58kg. Lighter lots sold in the region of €4/kg to €4.20/kg while good-quality lowland stores ranged in price from €3.90/kg to €4.10/kg.

Athenry mart

It was a similar trade in Athenry with hoggets weighing 50kg to 54kg selling from €203 to €212 with a top price of €220 also paid for a pen of excellent-quality Charollais lambs weighing 53.5kg. Hoggets lacking flesh cover sold back to the low €190s. Similarly hoggets weighing 48kg to 49kg traded in the main from €190 to €200 with some lots falling back to €185 per head.

Store lambs weighing 43kg to 44kg sold on average from €165 to €175 per head with a few lots rising to €180 per head.