Tullow Mart held its weekly sheep trade on Tuesday (July 28), registering its largest sale of the month as 3,125 sheep went through the ring.

In a mart report after the sale, the butcher and wholesale demand was reported as setting the pace.

Butcher and wholesale type spring lambs weighed from 50-65kg/head on the day.

These spring lambs sold for between €192-€230/head with the price per kg going from €3.60-€4.20/kg.

Below are some butcher and wholesale type prices on the day:

A pen of six lambs weighing on average 50kg sold for €200/head at €4.00/kg;
Two 63kg lambs sold for €219/head, at 3.48/kg.

Factory agents were not as active as previous weeks, according to the report/

This follows news of factory quotes easing back for this week, dropping below €9.00/kg for new season lambs for the first time this year.

Factory lambs weighing between 44-48kg sold for between €170-€196/head, down on the previous week's trade where the top call was set at €202/head.

Store lambs

The store trade has held relative to previous weeks, despite grass growth concerns, but rain at the weekend was badly needed to ensure confidence in the trade.

Store lambs weighing from 40-46kg sold for between €138-€180/head and ranged from €3.05-€4.10/kg.

A pen of 22 lambs weighing on average 44kg sold for €175/head, equivalent to €3.98/kg.

Lighter store lambs saw a more varied trade with weights from 35-40kg fetching from €135-€165/head, ranging from €2.98-€4.20/kg.

A pen of 20 lambs weighing on average 35kg sold for €135/head, equivalent to €3.86/kg

Hoggets and ewes

Cast ewes ranged from 35-105kg sold for between €1.15-€2.80/kg totalling from €52-€280/head.

The top call went to three cast ewes weighing 100kg each that sold for €280/head, equivalent to €2.80/kg.

A pen of nine cast ewes weighing on average 92kg sold for €254/head, equivalent to €2.76/kg.

Hoggets ewes sold "briskly" up to €350/head, with aged ewes fetching up to €254/head.

The first week of August promises to be hectic for Tullow Mart as it will have a marquee at the Tinahely show on the August Bank Holiday Monday, August 3.

Tullow Livestock Sales will be hosting its first Tullow Sheep Breeders Show and Sale of the year on Wednesday, August 5.

Tullow Mart manager Eric Driver confirmed to Agriland that the weekly schedule will also run as usual, with the sheep trade on Tuesday and the cattle sale on Friday concluding a busy week.