The trade at marts for all categories of lambs in the past two weeks has lifted in line with factories prices.
This past week alone, mart managers have been calling an improvement in lamb prices of a minimum of €5/head, with some calling heavier lambs better by €8-10/head.
The biggest lift in prices seen has been for the heavier 50kg plus lambs, where prices for top-quality lambs have breached €150/head at many marts, with some even breaching €160/head.
Generally, 50kg plus lambs have been moving at prices above €140/head, but have also started from as far back as €135/head.
Lambs in the 47-49kg bracket have also pushed returns of €140/head and just above at some marts. They are generally starting from a base of €135/head for quality lambs, with lesser quality lambs starting from €127-130/head.
The trade for forward stores has also picked up, with quality stores pushing returns of €120-122/head.
Forward stores are generally continuing to sell above €100/head for 37-38kg plus lambs.
The trade for long-keep stores remains a tough place, with a lot of small light lambs still showing at marts. However, despite this, some mart managers have said to Agriland that the trade for these lighter stores has improved slightly.
Prices have been ranging anywhere from €40-70/head for hill-bred lambs weighing as low as 20kg and up to 30-32kg, and up to €85-95/head for lowland-bred lambs weighing 35-37kg. The greatest demand and lift in prices for these lighter lambs has been for ewe lambs.
There isn’t much change to the ewe trade; although factory quotes for ewes have lifted 10-20c/kg in the past fortnight, there hasn’t been much change to ewe prices at marts.
Heavy ewes remain scarce, with those at marts generally trading from €130/head to €160/head, with those weighing 90-95kg plus pushing returns above this.
A large proportion of lighter ewes are selling from €70/head up to €110-120/head across marts.