Factory agent activity in the mart sheep trade has been described as "very dead overall," according to Tullow Mart manager Eric Driver.

Speaking to Agriland after the weekly general sheep sale at Tullow Mart which featured over 2,500 sheep, the mart manager said: "We are noticing complete and utter disengagement at factory level, they don't seem to be engaging their agents in the mart business at all at the minute."

Commenting on the overall trade at the mart, Driver said in the commercial ring, there is "a good, honest butcher trade for the 49-54kg lambs with these making from the late €170s to the mid €180s and one pen of 52kg lambs making €189/head".

The gallery below includes sample prices from the general sheep sale at Cootehill Mart in Co. Cavan on Tuesday, September 11:

"The 40-48kg lamb, it's the wholesaler activity keeping a good base in it. The farmer feeders are buying the sheep lacking flesh in those weights," Driver said.

"40kg lambs are making €100 with the weight, with 43kg making round €143 and fleshed ones weighing 45kg are making €155 or €156 and higher-end sheep weighing 46/47kg are making into the mid €160s and higher on the better ones."

He also said that the level of farmer confidence in the store lamb sheep trade is "giving stability to the whole thing.

"A good 30kg lamb is the same price as 39/40kg - in some instances," he noted.

The 30kg lambs are making around €110 in general, he said.

While there remains a lively trade for the store lambs, he said: "Presentation is starting to show differential about the ram lambs - they're easier by €1/2 and the farmers who docked tails and castrated are getting a supplement."

The light lambs are making €100 for the nice continental ones but Driver said that most kambs in the sale are making from 32kg upwards.

The Tullow sheep breeders hosted their third show and sale at Tullow Mart on Wednesday, September 10.

The mart manager said: "The hogget trade held steady but the mid-season customers haven't as much money at hand and there's not as strong a hogget being presented.

Lesser-bred sheep were making from €220-250/head for the plainer ewe hoggets "with not tremendous potential".

Breeding ewe lambs were making up to €300 for 51kg with 55kg ewe lambs making €285/head.

The mart manager said the cas ewe trade has also eased with the heavier ewes back 10-20c/kg. He said: "We are starting to meet the end of the European holiday trade."

Tullow Mart is hosting a Multi-breed ram sale on Saturday September 20 with 300 rams on offer.

The sale will feature a selection of rams of all breeds, with a large entry of rams in the sale suitable for the Sheep Improvement Scheme.

The mart hosts a weekly sheep sale every Tuesday and its next sale of breeding sheep will be Tuesday, September 23.