The country’s marts are reporting increased numbers of sheep coming forward, and this is having a negative impact on the prices being paid for store lambs, with these lots back by €1-3/head.
There was a bigger entry of sheep in Dowra Mart on Saturday with over 2,000 sheep on offer, according to the Mart Manager Terry McGovern this had a slight negative impact on the store lamb trade.
According to McGovern, the store type lambs had slipped slightly on previous weeks, with these lots falling by approximately €2-3/head. Lambs which would have made €73-75 last week sold from €70-73 this week, said McGovern.
However, there was no change in the price paid for factory lots, with a top price of €112 achieved.
The hogget ewe trade was very similar to last week, with the top lot selling at €165/head, but prices ranged from €120-165.
There was also a selection of mountain hoggets on offer and these lots sold up to a tops of €100.
The cull ewe market remained pretty similar to previous weeks. According to the Mart Manager the mountain type culls sold from €35-45, the feeder type ewes sold from €60-75, while the fats lots sold to a tops of €115.
The numbers were also up in Baltinglass Mart on Saturday with over 3,500 sheep passing through the ring, according to Mart Manager Joe Kinsella.
According to the Mart Manager, there was a strong trade for brood sheep, Suffolk cross ewes lambs sold from €105-137, their hogget comrades sold from €140-179 each.
There was also a strong trade for Cheviot type hogget ewes, with the top lot selling for €195/head, other lots sold from €140 upwards.
The three and four-year-old cheviot lots made €140-175, while the Suffolk cross lots sold from €120-150, said Kinsella.
The cast ewes in the Wicklow venue sold from €60-112.
Like other venues, store lambs had also slipped slightly on previous weeks by approximately €1-3/head, reported Kinsella, who added that this occurred as a result of the increased number of these lots on offer.
The best of the factory lambs sold for €108/head, he said.
There was 2,100 sheep on offer in Cahir Mart last Wednesday, and according to the Mart Manager the lots on offer met with a fine trade.
According to Jonathan O’Sullivan the store lambs meet with a particularly good trade, he said, with the best lots selling to €51 over, while the mountain type Scotch lamb sold for €2/kg, with 30kg lambs selling for €60.
The butcher and factory types sold from €100-115, or €2.09-2.20/kg, reported the Mart Manager.
There was also a good entry of cast ewes and these lots sold from €50-108 each, while the younger breeding hoggets also were in strong demand as these lots sold for €125-185/head.
The older type three and four-year-old ewes made €90-130 each.
There were 1,500 sheep on offer in Headford Mart on Saturday, and according to the Mart Manager the trade was similar to previous weeks.
According to Joe Wynne, hogget ewes in the Galway venue sold from €130-194/head, while the older breeding lots made €120-155.
There was also good demand for the ewe lambs on offer and these lots sold from €80-114.
The butcher lots sold from €95-110 each, while the lighter factory lots sold from €88-100, or €1.95-2.22/kg, said the Mart Manager.
Unlike other venues, the trade for store lambs remained similar to last week with these lots selling from €60-84 each.
