Store lambs continue to lead the way in sheep marts as there were plenty of buyers preset around the ring for these lots in recent days.

Fermoy Mart’s Sean Leahy said forward store lambs continued to meet a strong trade on Monday, with lots weighting 40kg selling from €80-85 each.

The Mart Manager also said that exporters are beginning to make their presence felt around the ring as they were very active for ram lambs weighing 40-55kg.

These exporters were paying between €100-112/head for these lambs on Monday, he said.

Like previous weeks, Leahy said the factory lamb trade continues to remain strong with the majority of the lambs weighing 45kg generally hitting the €100 mark or €2.20/kg.

However, he said butcher lamb prices had eased slightly compared to the previous week’s sale, with prices for these lots back by €3-4/head, with the top priced lot selling to €118.

The number of breeding ewes on offer are also starting to increase, he said, with hogget ewes trading from €120-220 each, while aged lots sold from €100-150 each.

Kilkenny Mart

There was a bigger sale of sheep in Kilkenny Mart, Cillin Hill on Monday according to the Mart Auctioneer George Candler.

Candler said the sheep trade remained steady all round, with store lambs meeting a solid trade due to the presence of active farmer buyers. These lambs sold from €1.85-2.15/kg or €67-85/head.

The Auctioneer also said that quality sheep met with a firm trade, with butcher and factory lambs trading from €2.02-2.10/kg and €2.00-2.15/kg respectively.

Sample lamb prices:
  • 58kg: €118 or €2.03/kg
  • 54kg: €113 or €2.09/kg
  • 50kg: €102 or €2.04/kg
  • 47kg: €101 or €2.15/kg
  • 46kg: €96 or €2.09/kg
  • 41kg: €84 or €2.05/kg
  • 38kg: €79 or €2.08/kg
  • 37kg: €70 or €1.89/kg

Like Fermoy Mart, ewe numbers are starting to increase in Kilkenny Mart as the breeding season draws closer.

And, Candler added that breeding hoggets peaked at €202, while two-to-three year old ewes sold from €110-160 and the cast lots made €40-115/head.

Mountbellew Mart

Further west in Mountbellew Mart, the Mart Manager Marianne Higgins said there was a large number of sheep on offer on Saturday.

Higgins added that plenty of top buyers were in attendance and as a result factory lambs met a similar trade to last week.

She also said that store lambs met with increased buyer activity and these lots traded from €70-94.50 each.

Sample lamb prices:
  • 38kg: €80 or €2.11/kg
  • 51kg – €108 or €2.12/kg
  • 38kg: €85 or €2.24/kg
  • 41.5kg: €95 or €2.29/kg
  • 40.5kg: €92 or €2.27/kg
  • 46kg: €94 or €2.04/kg
  • 42kg: €90.50 or €2.15/kg

Lots suitable for breeding also met a firm trade, she said, with ewe lambs trading from €90-118.50, hogget ewes sold from €130-175, while first-to-third crops ewes made €90-166/head.

The Mart Manager also said that stag ewe prices also improved compared to the sale held a week earlier and these lots generally sold from €68-110 each.