A strong start to 2021 was reported by John Doyle of Blessington Mart at the Wicklow-based mart’s first sheep sale of the new year today, Tuesday, January 5.
Despite many marts postponing scheduled sales this week due to rising Covid-19 cases, Blessington Mart was one of the few to kick off its sales for the new year.
John noted that both fat and store lambs were the standout trade on the day, with heavy and forward store lambs selling similar to pre-Christmas levels and more in cases.
Factory lambs made from €117/head up to €128-130/head, with the appetite among factory agents strong for these types.
Forward store lambs over 40kg were a flying trade according to John, with these lots making from €100/head up to €115/head.
Lighter store lambs between 35kg and 39kg generally sold from €85/head up to €105/head.
John highlighted that the cull ewe trade today was similar to that of before the Christmas break. Heavy ewes traded from €115/head up to a tops of €127/head.
Feeding ewes started from €75/head and reached €110/head for more forward-feeding type ewes that required a small bit more feeding.