The lamb trade in marts is much more positive this week, with factory agents keen to get their hands on higher numbers and given greater licence to pay more.

Lamb prices are up anywhere from €2 to €5 per head on the week, with individual sales which recorded a sluggish trade last week reporting even higher increases.

Heavier lambs weighing in excess of 48kg have received the greatest boost, with prices for lambs weighing 48kg to 53kg ranging from €132 to a top of €138 to €140 per head.

Lighter lots weighing 42kg to 46kg are trading from €114 to €128, with a good percentage of better-quality lambs with a good kill-out potential selling north of €120.

Prices here are variable, depending on flesh cover

The increase in appetite is such that factories are willing to drop well down in the weights to get their hands on higher numbers, with reports indicating agents are active for fleshed lambs down as low as 38kg liveweight.

Prices here are variable, depending on flesh cover, with lambs weighing 40kg selling from €110 to €117 in the main and rising to €120 for select lots.

Many marts report store lambs weighing around the 40kg mark trading from €100 to €105

The trade for store lambs has also benefitted from the livelier dead trade.

But there is again some variability between marts and a significant differential based on lamb quality.

Many marts report store lambs weighing around the 40kg mark trading from €100 to €105.

Lighter lambs weighing 36kg to 37kg are reported in a wider price bracket ranging from €90 to €107.

Lamb presentation is said to be having a big bearing on prices paid.

Ewes weighing 90kg to 100kg are trading in the main from €160 to €185

The ewe trade has stepped up a notch, with buyers who have been active in recent weeks in sourcing ewes for live export or specialist orders showing a greater appetite.

Ewes weighing 90kg to 100kg are trading in the main from €160 to €185, but there has been more reports of top-quality ewes and particularly those weighing upwards of 100kg selling to €200 and higher in isolated cases.

Fleshed ewes weighing around the 80kg to 85kg mark are trading from €120 to €150.

Lighter ewes weighing 75kg are trading from €100 to €115, while Scottish Blackface ewes remain at a range of €1/kg for lots lacking flesh to €1.20/kg to €1.40/kg for heavier and better-quality lots.