Lamb prices took a beating at marts last week, as severe pulls in factory prices trickled down into the mart trade.
In the space of two weeks, factory prices for lambs dropped from €6.70-6.90/kg down to €6.00-6.10/kg and this has had a rippling effect on the trade at marts.
This, in turn, saw prices for lambs fall by anywhere from €6-10/head on average, with price drops greater than this also seen.
Looking at prices, heavy lambs of butcher and wholesaler interest made €130-135/head in general last week, with isolated cases of prices rising to €140-144/head at some marts.
Factory lamb prices varied considerably, with well-fleshed lots making €120-130/head, while lesser-fleshed lots sold back to €112-115/head.
The number of store lambs coming on stream continues to remain relatively small. Prices for forward stores ranged from €100/head up to €110-115/head.
Lighter long-keep stores have been selling from as far back as €50-60/head for 20-23kg lambs, up to €95-100/head mark for 36-37kg lambs, with prices even breaching the €100/head in cases.
The cull ewe trade remains vibrant, with prices last week hitting highs of €190-195/head for 100kg plus ewes.
The general run of prices for those fleshed 90kg plus ewes, at marts last week, ranged from €135-170/head, with exceptionally heavy ewes hitting highs of €180-190/head.
Ewes in the 80-89kg weight bracket, generally made from €100/head up to €135-140/head.