Numbers of spring lambs appearing at marts are starting to creep up, but are still small at this stage.

Prices for heavy spring lambs are reaching up to €190-200, however only small numbers of lambs are reaching this mark.

Factory prices this week are also on the rise for spring lambs, with prices reportedly reaching as high as €8.50/kg and base prices ranging from €7.70/kg, up to €7.90/kg.

However, thus far, the feeling is that the spring lamb trade – albeit it’s early days yet – has not lived up to expectations. In general, many spring lambs are moving at prices around €170-185/head at marts.

The prices farmers have been getting for spring lambs have been no better than this time last year despite increases in input costs, meaning that in some cases farmers are getting even less for lambs than last year.

Some mart managers have told Agriland that the trade so far for spring lambs has been driven by butchers, with factory agents not showing as much interest.

These factory agents are instead focusing on hoggets and cull ewes.

Mart prices

Looking to the trade for spring lambs at marts at the start of this week, up in Donegal at Raphoe Mart on Monday (April 4), prices for spring lambs ranged from €170/head to €192/head for lambs weighing 46-52kg.

On the same day, Ennis Mart saw prices for spring lambs reach up to €170/head, with the general run of prices from €3.30/kg up to €3.88/kg for 40-55kg lambs.

Down at Kilkenny Mart, George Candler reported prices for spring lambs to be reaching from €172/head up to €184/head, or from €3.40/kg up to €4.02/kg for 43-53kg lambs.

While in Tullow Mart yesterday (April 5), at the spring lamb show and sale, prices reached a high of €200, but in general didn’t exceed €180/head.