The sheep mart trade is meeting contrasting fortunes. A number of marts have taken the decision to postpone their opening sale of 2021 due to the spike in coronavirus cases, while for marts that have resumed trading, they are meeting a brisk trade.

Note that sales can only take place online or by a tender process, with no buyers or sellers permitted ringside.

Prices for finished lambs have increased anywhere from €3 to €6 over the Christmas break and this is being driven by an insatiable demand from factory agents who are competing with butcher and wholesale buyers keen to replenish stocks.

Fleshed slaughter-fit lambs weighing upwards of 50kg are trading from €133 to €139 on average for factory-type sheep and as high as €140 to €145 for heavier and excellent-quality lots. There is also demand in some sales for ewe lambs with breeding potential and this is adding another source of competition into the trade.

Prices for finished lambs have increased anywhere from €3 to €6 over the Christmas break and this is being driven by an insatiable demand from factory agents

The increase in factory prices is feeding directly down into higher store lamb prices. There is a differential ranging anywhere from €5 to €8 per head on average between lambs of similar weight but varying quality and flesh cover.

Short-keep store weighing 44kg to 46kg are trading from €115 to €120 for average-quality lots, rising to the mid-€120s for lowland lambs with a nice cover of flesh. Lambs weighing 39kg to 42kg are trading from €102 to €108 for average-quality crossbred types to €113 to €116 for top-quality lots.

There has been a slight increase in some areas in the number of culls ewes on offer, with some producers waiting until the census date to show ewes, while a lower barren rate is limiting the number of ewes appearing in small lots.

The trade is steady, with fleshed heavy-carcase ewes trading in the main from €115 to €125, with select lots rising to €130 or higher, while medium-sized well-fleshed lots are selling from €95 to €105.

Small-framed ewes and those lacking flesh range from €75 to €85, while Scottish Blackface ewes are at €50 to €60 for small-framed ewes and €65 to €77 for larger-framed types.