There were over 2,200 head of sheep on offer at the weekly general sheep sale at Mayo Sligo Livestock Mart (Ballina Mart), Co. Mayo on Tuesday (August 22).
Speaking to Agriland, mart manager Billy Loftus said the sale featured over 1,500 store lambs and 300 breeding sheep, with the remainder being fat lambs and cull ewes.
Commenting on the trade, he said: “Fat lambs from 42kg up are making from €2.55-2.70/kg in general with €2.80/kg paid for 50kg lambs. They were making tops of €2.65/kg a few weeks ago.”
The trade for store lambs was “good” too, according to Loftus.
“We have had four big sales so far this year and we have had fairly good clearances. The clearance rates are as good if not better than last year,” he said.
He added that there are a number of customers from the midlands securing large numbers of store lambs at the weekly sheep sale which helps “put a great floor on the trade”.
The mart manager said it is primarily crossbred lambs on offer currently and that the north Mayo mountain lambs will arrive in large numbers in the next three to four weeks.
He added that the very small lambs on offer are “hard sold” at present but buyers are keen for the stronger-type stores.
“You would have a lot of buyers looking for lambs that would be fit before Christmas. Then you have some farmers buy the ones that would be fit in January or February,” he said.
Breeding hoggets, he said, made tops of €240/head for six top-quality Suffolk hoggets. Plainer hoggets were making from €140-160/head and the slightly better ones were making from €170-180/head.
“The sheep trade getting a bit of a lift again,” the mart manager said.
“It seems to have turned the corner again. Cattle price has stabilised and lambs are not as plentiful as factories originally thought.”
Ballina Mart is set to host its annual sale of Blackface Mountain lambs and breeding ewes on September 16, with 1,500 breeding ewes expected to be on offer.