Numbers were down at Kilkenny mart's weekly ewe and lamb sale yesterday (Monday, June 22) as a total of 390 sheep went through the ring.

According to Kilkenny mart auctioneer George Candler it was "a disappointing trade" with a reduction all round for all lambs but cull ewes held their own.

"Next week we will see if it was just a blip or the start of a slide in prices," Candler added.

Spring lambs saw prices reduced in some places by between €8 and €18 per lamb.

This recent lamb price reductions is not limited to Kilkenny and has been evident in other marts across the country.

Spring lambs, in the wholesale "butcher types" category sold for between €3.90-€4.29/kg and averaged between €190 to €224/head.

Mart

Two spring lambs weighing 55kg each made €4.00/kg totalling €220/head at the mart yesterday.

A pen of eight spring lambs weighing 53kg each, on average, made €4.23/kg or €224/head.

A larger pen of 11 spring lambs weighing 52kg each, on average, made €4.29/kg or €223/head.

Another pen of eight spring lambs weighing 49kg each, on average, made €4.18/kg or €205/head.

Factory type lambs

This weeks trade saw prices for factory type lambs per kg range from €3.85/kg to €4.25/kg and the price per lamb range from €165/head to €190/head.

A pen of 17 lambs weighing 47kg each, on average, made €3.87/kg or €182/head.

A pen of 19 lambs weighing 46kg each, on average, made €4.11/kg or €189/head.

A smaller pen of six lambs weighing 43kg each, on average, made €4.02/kg and €173/head.

A pen of nine lambs weighing 44kg each, on average, made €3.86/kg or €170/head.

Cull ewes

Cull ewe prices held from the previous week with cull ewe prices ranging between €168/head to €260/head.