Sheep marts with a strong wholesale/butcher customer base are recording much more life in the lamb trade in recent days.

Prices for top-quality lambs are up by €2 to €5/head with prices recorded for lambs weighing 50kg to 55kg ranging from €105 to €110 with the weight.

Marts with less activity from butcher/wholesale buyers or where store lamb entries dominate have not recorded the same lift, with prices for lambs weighing upwards of 50kg remaining in the region of €98 to €102 with the weight.

The firming in the trade in recent weeks has come on the back of increased factory prices. Quotes offered to individual sellers or those trading through groups have not changed for Thursday and remain at a range of €6.55/kg to €6.60/kg for quality-assured lambs.

Regular sellers and producers trading through groups are securing returns ranging from €6.70/kg to €6.80/kg.

Factories are reluctant to pay above this range but higher-priced lambs out of mart sales are costing much more.

There is also a significant lift reported for cull ewes in some marts with prices for heavy, fleshed ewes rising by €5 to €15 per head and hitting €140 to €160 plus for heavy ewes weighing in excess of 90kg.