Clare Co-Operative Marts held its weekly sheep sale on Monday ( August 24), as nearly 800 sheep went through the ring with quality and prices hitting a slump.

Speaking to Agriland, Clare Co-Operative Marts' Gerry Finnerty said the store trade was in a very "tricky position", as the lack of grass was very concerning.

He spoke of the concern or more accurately, the "lack of confidence" as input costs such as meal demand increase, combined with factory cuts over the last month.

This cumulates in a poor demand for store lambs as buyers are very cautious with no certainty about where the market will go.

This is more concerning as store lambs always come back in September according to Finnerty, who advised farmers to feed meal.

"Three weeks will finish a lamb," he said.

The sale saw lambs average €3.43/kg, which is approximately 10c/kg back on last week's trade.

Some store lamb prices from the day are listed below:

A pen of 15 lambs weighing an average of 30kg sold for €96/head at €3.20/kg;
A pen of 27 lambs weighing on average 35.5kg sold for €124/head at €3.49/kg;
Eight lambs weighing on average 30kg sold for €105/head at €3.50/kg;
Seven lambs weighing on average 39kg sold for €140/head at €3.59/kg.

The standout trade for lambs on the day was for a pen of 17 lambs weighing on average 51kg that made €185/head at €3.63/kg.

Another pen of 13 lambs weighing on average 49kg made €178/head, also at €3.63/kg;

More prices from the lamb trade include:

11 lambs weighing on average 49kg made €174/head at €3.55/kg;
12 lambs weighing on average 47.5kg made €172/head at €3.62/kg;
10 lambs weighing on average 48kg made €170/head at €3.54/kg;
10 lambs weighing on average 45.5kg made €150/head at €3.29/kg.

The cull ewe trade was also back, feeling the effect of factory prices, and averaged €2.07/kg.

The standout sale from the cull ewe trade was €238/head paid for three ewes weighing on average 100kg, at €2.38/kg.

Another pen of 10 ewes weighing on average 91kg made €200/head at €2.20/kg, while a pen of 15 ewes weighing on average 76kg made €180/head at€2.37/kg.