The exceptional trade for lambs across the board over the last number of weeks has put farmers in a strong position in terms of how they go about marketing their animals.

Factory prices have reached unprecedented levels with up to €7.30-7.40/kg on offer at the higher end of the market for lambs this week.

If farmers are hitting a stumbling block with factories on price, or have a mixed bunch of lambs and aren’t sure what to do with them, they have an alternative option in a very strong mart trade.

This is causing ferocious competition for lambs between butchers, wholesalers, factory agents and farmers.

Factory agents, in an attempt to secure supplies, are dropping down in the weights to get lambs and, because of that, are meeting competition from farmers for those forward store lambs.

Farmers are also on the hunt for ewe lambs still, and are competing for those heavier ewe lambs over 47-48kg.

This, again, is making life hard for those factory agents to get their hands on supplies.

Agriland has visited a number of marts over the past few weeks and mart managers have confirmed that light store lambs that require a substantial amount of feeding to finish are selling well over €3.00/kg and as high as €3.50-3.90/kg.

This is making some farmers think that they would be better off marketing their lambs, rather than keeping them.

In other years, however, these farmers might have kept these lighter lambs towards the tail end of the year.

With a 25kg bag of finishing ration coming in at €9.60 it’s important to weigh up your options.

Is it best to sell or take the chance and feed on and hope prices stay strong?

Hopefully, they do.