Carnew Mart held its weekly sheep sale on Thursday (June 25), where 1,008 sheep and lambs went through the ring, though numbers were down slightly on last week.

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Carnew Mart's Eugene Clune described the trade as "steady" with "strong demand from farmers both ringside and online".

This will be welcome news for sheep farmers after price cuts in factories and falling offers in marts around the country.

Clune put the reduced numbers down partially to the exceptionally warm weather on Thursday, meaning some farmers were less willing to travel.

Spring lambs saw a good trade with the price topping out at €299.

A large number of store lambs were on offer as well. Lambs around the 47-48kg mark that were "well-fleshed" saw a strong trade with most fetching well above the €200 mark.

Below are the average prices for lambs at Carnew Mart:

Lambs above the 50kg mark average between €210-€229;
45-49kg lambs averaged between €195-€206;
40-44kg lambs averaged between €168-€192;
Lighter lambs below 40kg averaged between €139-€165.

Clune noted that demand for heavy lambs was "exceptional", while lighter and heavier store lambs saw good prices.

Ewe prices were also strong with demand remaining throughout the sale for all ewe classes. The ewe price peaked at €298 with averages around the €190-€200 mark.

Similarly to lambs, "well-fleshed" ewes saw particularly strong offers, while lighter ewes recorded good prices as well.

Farmer sentiment

Clune noted how there was fears before the sale that cuts experienced elsewhere would be seen but these did not materialise in Carnew.

On the prevailing sentiment after the sale, Clune commented on the optimism from farmers buying and selling around the ring that prices would remain relatively strong.

He put this down to the quality of lambs entering the ring, and how they were "exceptionally better" this year compared to last, as the weather in April and May had optimised lamb development conditions.

Clune believes that if grass growth continues, the sheep trade in Carnew will be able to withstand major cutbacks, and while not immune to seasonal drops as typically seen this time of year, demand will remain strong.

He also noted how farmers have benefited from the high factory offers and are more willing to pay for quality sheep.

He added: "The man who kept the heavy hoggets and sold them before the factory price dropped now has money to spend."