The trade for hoggets at marts this past two weeks, but particularly this week, has taken quite a hit as factories moved to pull prices further.
Prices have fallen back for finished types by as much as €3-5/head, with some mart managers calling prices to be easier by as much as €7/head.
Factory prices for hoggets, since the start of this week, have taken quite a turn, with factories lowering base prices as the week progressed.
Looking at the trade, prices for finished hoggets this past week at and above €160/head have been less frequent than what had been since the turn of the new year.
Generally, those finished hoggets have been selling from a base of just over €130/head up to €155-160/head.
Store types are holding a firm trade compared to their finished lamb counterparts. Forward stores are still making up to €120/head and €130/head and selling back down to €105-110/head.
The majority of longer-keep stores have been moving at prices of €75/head up to €100-105/head, while light hill-bred stores have been starting from a base of €60-65/head.
The cull ewe trade is also holding steadily at a strong level, with prices for those well-fleshed ewes generally making from €140/head up to €180-185/head; while 100kg plus ewes have moved past this range and sold closer to the €200/head mark.
Moving on, the trade for in-lamb ewes has started off on a steady footing in 2022, with prices so far ranging in general from €140/head for ewes scanned in lamb with a single lamb up to €190-220/head for good quality or hogget ewes carrying twins and triplets.
Lastly, ewes with lambs at foot have been appearing in small numbers at marts. Prices for aged ewes with single lambs at foot have been starting from €140/unit up to €280/unit for ewes with twin and triplet lambs at foot, while €330 was paid for a ewe with two lambs at foot at Roscommon Mart on Wednesday, January 19.