Hogget prices witnessed an improved trade of €2-3/head at some marts last week, in line with factory price increases.
Numbers appearing at sales are also strong, particularly finished types with stores becoming that bit scarcer week on week. Mart managers also continue to note the increasing number of hogget ewes appearing at sales.
Mart managers have also noted that cull ewes, as well as hoggets, have been overshadowing the beginning of the spring lamb trade, with one mart manager noting a particularly stronger appetite for hoggets by factory agents rather than spring lambs.
Looking at the trade, many sales saw prices reach highs of €170-175/head for heavy-fleshed butcher-type hoggets, with cases of prices exceeding this level also reported for excellent quality lots.
In the main, however, many of those 50kg plus hoggets have been trading from €160/head up to €170/head, with plainer-quality types selling back to €155-160/head or those not possessing as good a clover of flesh.
While slightly lighter hoggets in the 47-49kg weight bracket are also breaking the €160/head mark for quality lots, but are also selling back to a base of €150-152/head.
Forward stores are generally making from €135/head up to €147-150/head, with lighter hoggets, back to 35-37kg, starting from a base of €100/head for lowland bred types, with hill-bred light store hoggets selling from a base of €70-80/head in general.