Lamb prices during the week witnessed an improvement once again from last week, with mart managers saying prices are up anywhere from €2-5/head.
While other mart managers have reported lamb prices as on par with last week – having seen prices lift by as much as €10/head over the previous two weeks.
Increased appetite for lambs stemming from the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival has meant factory agents have upped their game in order to get a hold of numbers.
Factory prices have increased from last week and as the week has gone on, prices lifted as high as €6.70-6.75/kg, going by reports.
Looking at the trade, heavy lambs have been trading from €133/head up to €139-144/head, with isolated cases of very heavy lambs hitting over the €150/head mark – as seen at Raphoe Mart for example, on Monday (July 12).
Factory lambs, over the past few days, have generally been selling from €118-120/head up to €130-133/head – with again cases of lambs making €5 more, up to €137-139/head.
Lighter lambs down around the 40-41kg weight bracket, with a good cover of flesh, pushed to the €120-123/head mark and sold back to €116-118/head.
Lambs weighing 33-39kg have been making anywhere from €90/head up to €110-115/head, with lighter stores again selling back to €80-85/head, in general.
Some mart managers have noted entries of ewe lambs being met with great farmer interest. In Roscommon on Wednesday (July 14), Maura Quigley reported a price of €167/head for a nice pen of 46kg ewe lambs.
While at Tuam Mart on Tuesday (July 13), Marian Devane reported an impressive price of €134/head for a pen of sharp-looking 38.5kg ewe lambs.