“We saw a right good trade for lambs across the board here on Monday, while the ewe trade, although solid, was a bit quieter than previous weeks.”

They were the views of auctioneer Terry Cooke of Athenry Mart, who was commenting on the trade at the Galway-based mart’s weekly sale of sheep on Monday (June 14).

Speaking to Agriland after the conclusion of the sale, Terry said: “We had a strong entry of lambs – just over 70 lots were on offer.

“Again, a good trade was seen for the heavy and factory lambs. Prices on Monday topped €170/head for heavy 54kg lambs.

Athenry Mart
These 50.5kg lambs sold for €165/head at Athenry Mart on Monday

“Overall, there was a very good demand for those heavy and factory lambs.

“The couple of pens of stores were a very good trade and were met with strong farmer interest, with prices hitting €121/head for a nice pen of 36kg lambs.

“Looking at the cull ewe trade, I would say it was solid but maybe a bit quieter than the last few weeks. Numbers were also a bit smaller this week.

“In saying that, we still saw some great prices – up to €194/head for 100kg plus ewes.

Athenry Mart
These ewes weighing 88kg, deemed fit for breeding, sold for €156/head

“All in all, I would have to say the sheep trade is going strongly,” Terry concluded.

Athenry Mart

A good lively trade was seen for all categories of lambs at Athenry Mart on Monday (June 14) – which saw prices top €170/head for 54kg lambs.

A solid trade was then seen for cull ewes, with prices back in places for some ewes on the previous week.

Agriland cast an eye over the Galway-based mart’s sale – which saw near 100 lots of sheep on offer across the board. To read our full lowdown, click the link below.