Finished lamb prices have taken a knock this week of €2-5/head at marts, in line with factory prices for lambs easing back.
From speaking to mart managers, many have said that despite prices coming back for those finished lambs, factory agents remain very active ringside for lambs and that, as a whole, the trade is still holding well.
Speaking to one mart manager in the east of the country, he noted that prices for those quality fleshed ewe and wether lambs remained strong, with ram lambs seeing the biggest fall off in price in comparison.
Looking at the trade at marts over the past few days, prices for those well-fleshed 50kg plus lambs have ranged from €156-158/head up to €166/head – with some, on occasion, reaching as high as €170/head.
Lambs in the 44-49kg weight bracket have generally been selling from €145/head up to €160-164/head – with lots lacking flesh selling back to €138-140/head and as such classed as forward stores really.
The store lamb trade on the other hand has gone up a gear at many marts – with some calling prices to be stronger this past week by €5-7/head.
Forward stores, in general, this past week, have been selling from €124/head up to €135-140/head – with quality and flesh cover determining prices paid out. One mart manager in the south east noted a top price of €147/head for a pen of 40kg store lambs.
Lighter, long-keep stores are selling from a base of €70-75/head for Scotch lambs weighing 25kg upwards up to €115-125/head for 36-38kg lambs.
Moving onto the cull ewe trade, prices have, in general, not moved off what was seen the week before. In the main, those heavy fleshed ewes have been trading from €140/head up to €175-180/head.
Store ewes are selling back to €35-40/head up to €120-135/head for forward feeding ewes.