Heavy hoggets sell steadily at Markethill Mart

An entry of 1,600 sheep at Markethill on Wednesday 22nd February sold in a noticeably firmer trade.

Heavy hoggets sold steadily from £85 to £90 each with four pens selling at £90.50 each.

Top price for heavy hoggets at 372p per kilo for 24.2kilos at £90 each for a Banbridge farmer.

All good quality pens sold from 340p to 371p per kilo. In all, 580 heavy hoggets averaged 25.5kilos at £88.70 each 348p.

Middleweight hoggets sold to 386p per kilo for 21.5 kilos at £83 followed by 381p per kilo for 22.5kilos at £85.80 each. Main demand for good quality middleweights sold from 350p to 379p per kilo.

Stores sold to 379p per kilo for 19 kilos at £72 each. All suitable pens sold from 350p to 378p per kilo.

Over 200 cull ewes sold to £106 each with all good quality ewes from £75 to £97 each. Second quality ewes sold from £50 to £70 each.

A large entry of ewes plus lambs returned another strong demand.

Doubles sold to a top of £232 each with all good quality doubles from £190 to £227 each.

Singles to £172 with others from £140 to £168 each.

HEAVY HOGGETS: Ballykelly farmer: 24.2k, £90, 372p; Tullyroane farmer: 24k, £89.50, 371p; Magheralin farmer: 24.2k, £89.50, 369p; Ballydown farmer: 24.3k, £89, 366p; Armagh farmer: 24.8k, £90.50, 364p; Markethill farmer: 24k, £87.50, 364p.

MIDDLEWEIGHT HOGGETS: Loughbrickland farmer: 21.5k, £83, 386p; Newtownhamilton farmer: 22.5k, £85.80, 381p; Keady farmer: 23.2k, £88, 379p; Poyntzpass farmer: 22.8k, £86, 377p; Loughbrickland farmer: 22.3k, £84, 377p; Armagh farmer: 23.4k, £88, 376p; Newtownhamilton farmer: 23k, £86.50, 374p; Keady farmer: 23k, £85.80, 373p.