The spring lamb trade has improved on the back of higher factory prices, according to Kenmare Mart’s Dan McCarthy.
The Mart Manager said spring lamb prices had improved by €5-6/head on Monday compared to the week before due to the increase in demand from factory buyers around the ring.
The majority of these factory fit lambs sold from €2.05-2.35/kg, he said.
McCarthy added that last week’s Brexit vote had no impact on the trade and he said that store lambs met a stronger trade compared to the week before.
McCarthy said this was mainly due to an increase in grass buyer demand, which resulted in most of the spring lambs trading from €2.09-2.19/kg.
Further south in Kilkenny Mart, Cillin Hill, the Mart Auctioneer George Candler said the expected uncertainty regarding the happenings in the UK did not materialise.
The Auctioneer said that all of the lambs on offer met with an excellent trade due to a want for lambs from factory agents and wholesalers.
He said the small number of lambs on offer combined with demand from both factory buyers and wholesalers resulted in an ‘electric sale’ with butcher lambs trading from €2.35-2.53/kg and factory lambs making from €2.30-2.57/kg. Cast ewes also met with good demand in Kilkenny Mart on Monday and these lots traded from €50/head for the feeder type ewes, up to a top price of €124 for the fleshed ewes.
Spring lamb prices also improved in the sheep sale in Fermoy Mart on Monday, according to the Mart Manager Sean Leahy.
Leahy said spring lamb prices has improved by €3-5/head compared to the week before, due to the increased in the number of factory buyers present around the ring.
The Mart Manager said that spring lambs weighing the region of 47-50kg traded at €110-123/head, while the lighter lots suitable for the factory trade (43-47kg) sold from €95-110/head.
However, despite the improvement in the spring lamb trade, he said that the cast ewe prices were back by €10-15/head on last week.
He said that the top price cast ewe made €115 on Monday, while in the corresponding sale the week before these ewes sold up to €123.
Leahy said the weaker Sterling was probably the main reason for the reduced demand for cast ewes, as the majority of cast ewes slaughtered in Ireland are sold into the UK.
Kilkenny Mart
Fermoy Mart