On Monday (May 31), Agriland made the trip down to Kilkenny Mart to check on the mart’s sheep sale – which saw an easing of the trade for both lambs and ewes.
Rumours surfaced over the weekend that lamb price cuts in the factories were on the horizon for the start of the week and that was very much the case at Kilkenny Mart, with lamb as well as ewe prices back on the week previous.
To get his thoughts on the trade, Agriland spoke to the mart’s well-known auctioneer, George Candler after the conclusion of the sale.
He said: “We had a very strong entry of sheep on the day, with up on 600 head on offer.
“We had some fine sheep on offer, particularly lambs, and they’re a credit to the local farmers producing them.
“However, both the lambs and ewes were met with an easier trade on last week, although I’d say the heavier lambs were that bit more solid of a trade in comparison to their lighter counterparts.
“The bulk of the lambs sold from €148/head up to €162/head.
“If I was to put a figure on it, I’d say lambs were back €8/head on average last week.
“The cull ewe trade was also quieter and I would say they were back €5-10/head and maybe even €12/head in cases – across the board for both light and heavy ewes,” he added.
“Ewe prices topped out at €162/head for 90kg plus ewes.
“Then again, we had our biggest sale of the season and what dictates the trade is supply and demand.
“So when there is an increase in supply it is likely to weaken demand and that was possibly the case here on Monday.
“I don’t think myself that the sheep trade will fall off in any big way. The trade has been fantastic for a good while now and I would be hopeful and somewhat confident that it will remain strong going forward,” George concluded.