Improved trade for sheep at Markethill

An entry of 1350 sheep at Markethill on Wednesday, 9th January sold in a further improved trade for all classes.

Heavy hoggets sold to £103.50 for a pen of 26.4kilos at 392p per kilo from a Whitecross farmer. Several pens sold from £94 to £98 each with the entire entry of 550 heavy hoggets averaging 25.5kilos at £95.30 each. Top quality heavy hoggets sold from 380p to 396p per kilo for 24k at £95 each from a Forkhill farmer followed by 394p for 24k at £94.50 each from an Annaghmore producer.

Good quality middleweight hoggets were in exceptionally strong demand with all top quality pens selling readily from 390p to a top of 432p per kilo for 21.4k at £92.50 followed by 426p per kilo for 20.2k at £86 each from a Benburb farmer.

Store trade was the dearest so far this season. Selling to a top of 494p per kilo for 17k at £84 each from a Dungannon farmer followed by 489p per kilo for 17.4k at £85 each from a Newtownhamilton farmer. All good quality stores sold from 400p to 465p per kilo.

Good cull ewes sold from £65 to £85 each with plainer ewes from £45 to £60 each.

HEAVY HOGGETS: Forkhill farmer 24k £95 396p; Annaghmore farmer 24k £94.50 394p; Whitecross farmer 26.4k £103.50 392p; Armagh farmer 24.3k £94.50 391p; Cladymore farmer 24.2k £94.20 389p; Cullyhanna farmer 24.3k £94 388p; Dungannon farmer 24.8k £96 387p; Lisnadill farmer 24.1k £93 386p.

MIDDLEWEIGHT HOGGETS: Milford farmer 21.4k £92.50 432p; Benburb farmer 20.2k £86 426p; Lisburn farmer 22.1k £92 416p; Tynan farmer 21.7k £90 415p; Tandragee farmer 21.2k £87.50 413p; Moy farmer 22k £90.50 411p; Portadown farmer 22.9k £94 411p; Portadown farmer 21.2k £87 410p; Armagh farmer 21.1k £86 408p; Portadown farmer 23.1k £93 403p

STORES: Dungannon farmer 17k £84 494p; Newtownhamilton farmer 17.4k £85 489p; Dungannon farmer 18k £85 472p; Newry farmer 17.9k £83.50 466p; Tynan farmer 16k £72 450p; Lisburn farmer 19k £85 447p; Dungannon farmer 18.9k £84.50 447p; Newry farmer 15.8k £70 443p; Waringstown farmer 19k £84 442p.