Quality heavy hoggets selling to £119.50 at Markethill

An entry of 1500 sheep in Markethill on Wednesday 23rd February returned an improved trade for fat hoggets.

An entry of nearly 300 cull ewes sold in, perhaps, the best ever trade.

Good quality heavy hoggets sold from 470 to 498p/k for 24k at £119.50 from a Whitecross farmer, followed by 494p/k for 24k at £118.50 from a Keady producer.

Several pens of heavy hoggets sold from £120 to £123.50 with an average price per head, for 300 heavy hoggets sold, of £120.50 each and an increase of £6 per head on week.

Good quality midweight hoggets sold from 500-565p/k for 21.6k at £122 for a Keady farmer, followed by 551p/k for 20.5k at £113 for an Armagh producer.

A Keady producer received £117.50 for 21.4k 549p/k.

Good quality stores sold from 480-542p/k for 19k at £103 from a Dromara farmer.

300 cull ewes sold in the best trade ever recorded at this mart to a top of £238 for a Banbridge farmer, followed by £233 for a Portadown producer.

All well fleshed ewes from £150 to £221 each.

Plainer ewes from £90 to £132.

A full yard of ewes and lambs met an improved trade with good quality doubles selling to £315, paid twice, followed by £310 and £300.

Main demand for good quality doubles from £250 to £295.

Singles sold to £270 and £265, paid twice. Main demand for good quality singles from £190 to £240.

Heavy hoggets

Whitecross producer 24k £119.50 498p/k: Keady producer 24k £118.50 494p/k: Poyntzpass producer 24.4k £120 492p/k: Milford producer 24k £118 492p/k: Aghalee producer 24k £117 488p/k: Keady producer 24.9k £121 486p/k: Portadown producer 24.3k £118 486p/k and Armagh producer 25k £121 484p/k.

Midweight hoggets

Armagh producer 21.6k £122 565p/k: Armagh producer 20.5 £113 551p/k: Keady producer 21.4k £117.50 549p/k: Glenanne producer 20.4k £109 534p/k: Richhill producer 22.4k £119.50 534p/k: Markethill producer 20.6k £106.50 517p/k and Armagh producer 22.4k £115.50 516p/k.

Store lambs

Dromara producer 19k £103 542p/k: 17k £88 518p/k: Aughnacloy producer 18.5k £95 514p/k: Ballynahinch producer 18.8k £95 505p/k: Kilkeel producer 19.4k £98 505p/k and Keady producer 17k £85 500p/k.