Mart trade: Hoggets take centre stage as spring lambs hit €3.75/kg

Hoggets continued to take centre stage at marts across the country over recent days. In many cases, prices in excess of €2.60/kg were achieved.

Spring lamb numbers are starting to increase – although at a gradual pace – and prices are generally sitting at €3.60-3.75/kg – very much in line with factory base quotes of €7.00-7.20/kg.

The ewe trade has also remained firm at the ringside and factory buyers were willing to pay €125-140 for well-fleshed lots.

Carnew Mart

Some 2,240 sheep were on offer at Carnew Mart’s weekly sheep sale on Thursday last. The hogget and cull ewe trade remained similar to previous weeks, while spring lambs sold for €135-148.

Sample spring lamb prices:

39kg – €148 or €3.79/kg;
39.5kg – €148 or €3.75/kg;
39kg – €146 or €3.74/kg;
40.7kg – €148 or €3.64/kg.

Heavy hoggets (+50kg) sold for €133-142.50, those in the 45-49kg bracket traded at €119-135 and store hoggets (<40kg) made €82-101.

Sample hogget prices:

46.7kg – €125 or €2.68/kg;
52kg – €134.50 or €2.59/kg;
50kg – €131.50 or €2.63/kg;
47kg – €131.50 or €2.80/kg;
42kg – €105 or €2.50/kg;
36kg – €84 or €2.33/kg;
47kg – €124 or €2.64/kg;
49kg – €132.50 or €2.70/kg.

A number of cull ewes were also on offer and these lots traded at €65-143.

Maam Cross Mart

Sheep numbers and prices were up at last week’s sale in Maam Cross Mart and genuine Blackface and crossbred stock were on offer.

On Saturday last, hoggets sold for €79-136, while cast ewes went for a top call of €72-140. A number of ewes with lambs at foot were also presented for sale and these lots sold for an average price of €103; the best pen of three Blackface ewes and lambs topped out at €130.

Mountbellew Mart

Numbers were back at Mountbellew Mart’s weekly sheep sale on Saturday last, as a result of the Easter break. Hoggets met a similar trade to previous weeks and traded at €2.27-2.60/kg or €94-139.

Sample hogget prices:

51.6kg – €125.00 €2.47/kg;
61.1 kg – €139.00 €2.27/kg;
43.4kg – €113.00 €2.60/kg;
37.3 kg- €95.00 €2.55/kg;
38kg – €94.00 €2.47/kg.

Large numbers of customers were present for ewes with lambs at foot and this resulted in a very brisk trade with plenty of competition for all lots on offer. Meanwhile, cast ewes met a similar trade to the previous week and prices of €70-125 were achieved.

Sample ewe prices:

Third-crop ewes with twin lambs: €190;
One third-crop ewe with a single lamb: €150;
One first-crop ewe with twin lambs: €276;
One third-crop ewe with triplet lambs: €253;
One second-crop ewe with a single lamb: €160;
Fourth-crop ewes with single lambs: €140.

Blessington Mart

Some 686 sheep were offered at Tuesday’s sheep sale in Blessington Mart, Co. Wicklow, and the trade was reportedly lively for cast ewes and hoggets.

On the day, butcher hoggets sold for €130-138 or €77-84 over, while the factory lots on offer made €114-130 or €70-79 over.

A number of cast ewes were also present for sale and fat ewes traded for €100-130, while the hammer fell at €67-98 for those in the feeding ewe category.