This week's sheep trade has seen most factories hold their lamb price again this week.

This is the third consecutive week prices have held, with prices this week ranging from €8.20-€8.30/kg in general after falling from highs of €9.70-€9.80/kg for spring lamb in early April this year.

Farmers have told Agriland that up to €8.40/kg is available for lambs this week but official factory quotes remain lower than this.

Last week, a group of young Irish sheep farmers travelled to Paris, France, in association with with Kepak and visited Rungis market.

Covering almost 600ac, the site is described as the largest fresh food market in the world and significant volumes of lamb are traded through the facility every day. Stay tuned to Agriland for a full report from this visit.

This week, Kepak is quoting €8.00/kg plus a 15c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus for spring lambs, leaving €8.15/kg on offer up to 21.5kg carcass-weight again this week.

The Athleague, Co. Roscommon site is quoting €4.70-€4.80/kg for cull ewes again this week.

Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €8.00/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for spring lambs, leaving €8.20/kg on offer here again this week up to 21.5kg.

The Navan, Co. Meath and Camolin, Co. Wexford-based outlets are quoting €4.50/kg for cull ewes – which is the same price as last week.

Kildare Chilling has no official quote for spring lambs, but is quoting €6.90/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus on hoggets up to 23kg carcass-weight again this week.

Kildare Chilling is quoting €4.70/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for better-type cull ewes.

Ballon Meats in Co. Carlow is quoting €8.10/kg for spring lambs again this week, and €5.10/kg for cull ewes, the same price as last week.

Prices eased €4-€8/head at the sheep sale in Kilkenny Mart today (Monday, July 28), with lambs peaking at €205/head for 60kg.

A pen of 47kg lambs made €167/head and cull ewes made up to €260/head.

Store lambs made up to €142/head for a pen averaging 39kg. Store lamb prices ranged from €3.47-€3.66/kg at the higher-end of the trade.