Auctioneer George Candler reported a slide in prices for lambs at Monday’s sale (June 21) at Kilkenny Mart.
Speaking after the sale, George said: “There was a noticeable slip in prices here in Kilkenny on Monday.
“I would say prices were back anywhere from €3/head up to €8/head on last week, with lambs topping out at €155/head for a pen of heavy 58kg lambs.
“The factory lambs topped out around the €145/head mark and sold back to around €125/head for 40kg.
“The cull ewe trade witnessed contrasting fortunes, with prices, although not quite hitting as high, but still saw a very strong price of €193/head for heavy fleshed ewes.
“Store ewes sold back to €55/head. We had big numbers of sheep on offer at Kilkenny, with 550 head presented for sale.”
Sample butcher lamb prices:
- 10 at 58kg sold for €155/head or €2.67/kg;
- Five at 54kg sold for €150/head or €2.78/kg;
- 11 at 52kg sold for €147/head or €2.83/kg;
- 12 at 50kg sold for €146/head or €2.92/kg;
- Five at 49kg sold for €144/head or €2.94/kg;
- 12 at 48kg sold for €147/head or €3.06/kg.
Sample factory lamb prices:
- Six at 46kg sold for €145/head or €3.15/kg;
- 10 at 45kg sold for €142/head or €3.16/kg;
- 12 at 44kg sold for €137/head or €3.11/kg;
- 11 at 43kg sold for €132/head or €3.07/kg;
- 10 at 42kg sold for €133/head or €3.17/kg;
- Eight at 40kg sold for €16/head or €3.15/kg.
Prices ease not just in Kilkenny as factories pull prices
Quotes for lambs eased on Monday (June 21), with prices back 10-30/kg from last week – which saw prices at marts, similar to Kilkenny (above), slip.
Quotes for lambs on Monday ranged from €6.70/kg up to €6.90/kg.
Reported top prices for lambs on Monday ranged from €7.00/kg up to €7.20/kg, with one processor saying that further price cuts could be seen during the week.