The live trade continues to provide plenty of positives for producers opting to trade live.
Mart managers report that the lure of higher returns is boosting throughput, with hogget and cull ewe entries up in many cases on the previous week’s throughput.
Spring lamb numbers remain small, but where offered are meeting strong demand from butcher buyers.
The standout sale this week was in Tullow Mart, where excellent-quality lambs weighing 42kg to 43kg exceeded €270/head and prices topped at €287 for 49kg lambs. Other lots ranged from €234 to €255.
Prices reported from other sales are in the region of €220 to €250 for top-quality lambs traded in small numbers, with lesser-quality types back to €200/head.
Hogget prices have increased by an average of €1 to €3/head depending on quality. A big differential remains between prices depending on quality, with factory agents becoming more discerning on quality.
Prices for lesser-quality or crossbred hoggets weighing from 50kg to 54kg range from €200 to €208, with top-quality and heavier lots rising to €220 to €225 and hitting as high as €230-plus for select lots.
There is keen demand for select lots of ewe lambs with breeding potential, with a number of farmers active for small numbers and paying a few euros extra to take them out of reach of factory agents.
However, in a small number of cases, prices have increased by €20 to €30/head for top-quality lots above equivalent returns for slaughter-fit types.
The cull ewe trade has increased by 10c/kg to upwards of 15c/kg, with a noticeable increase in demand for ewes capable of delivering high-quality carcases.
Prices for such ewes range from €2.80/kg to upwards of €3/kg, with buyers active in the live export trade resuming activity in some sales.
The general run of prices for more standard quality ewes is €2.40/kg to €2.70/kg, with plain-quality ewes lacking flesh back to €2.10/kg.
Scottish Blackface ewes are trading from €1.80/kg to €2.10/kg for heavier carcase ewes with light carcase ewes falling back to prices of around €1.50/kg.
The live trade continues to provide plenty of positives for producers opting to trade live.
Mart managers report that the lure of higher returns is boosting throughput, with hogget and cull ewe entries up in many cases on the previous week’s throughput.
Spring lamb numbers remain small, but where offered are meeting strong demand from butcher buyers.
The standout sale this week was in Tullow Mart, where excellent-quality lambs weighing 42kg to 43kg exceeded €270/head and prices topped at €287 for 49kg lambs. Other lots ranged from €234 to €255.
Prices reported from other sales are in the region of €220 to €250 for top-quality lambs traded in small numbers, with lesser-quality types back to €200/head.
Hogget prices have increased by an average of €1 to €3/head depending on quality. A big differential remains between prices depending on quality, with factory agents becoming more discerning on quality.
Prices for lesser-quality or crossbred hoggets weighing from 50kg to 54kg range from €200 to €208, with top-quality and heavier lots rising to €220 to €225 and hitting as high as €230-plus for select lots.
There is keen demand for select lots of ewe lambs with breeding potential, with a number of farmers active for small numbers and paying a few euros extra to take them out of reach of factory agents.
However, in a small number of cases, prices have increased by €20 to €30/head for top-quality lots above equivalent returns for slaughter-fit types.
The cull ewe trade has increased by 10c/kg to upwards of 15c/kg, with a noticeable increase in demand for ewes capable of delivering high-quality carcases.
Prices for such ewes range from €2.80/kg to upwards of €3/kg, with buyers active in the live export trade resuming activity in some sales.
The general run of prices for more standard quality ewes is €2.40/kg to €2.70/kg, with plain-quality ewes lacking flesh back to €2.10/kg.
Scottish Blackface ewes are trading from €1.80/kg to €2.10/kg for heavier carcase ewes with light carcase ewes falling back to prices of around €1.50/kg.
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