Last week’s sheep kill (week ending July 2) witnessed a increase on the week before, as buying for the Eid al-Adha festival intensified.

Spring lamb throughput broke 45,000 head last week, while ewe and ram throughput also witnessed a sizeable increase. Hogget throughput unsurprisingly, fell again.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that 55,098 sheep were processed last week, an increase of 4,211 head from the week before.

The number of hoggets processed continues to decline, with 1,638 head slaughtered last week; this is a decrease of 1,046 head from the week prior.

Ewe and ram throughput witnessed an increase last week of 1,626 head, totalling 8,049 head.

Furthermore, spring lamb supplies decreased last week to 45,411 head, which represents an increase of 3,641 head on the previous week.

Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending July 2):

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,354,670 sheep have been processed so far.

Of that figure, 890,117 have been hoggets, 320,948 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (143,516) and a small portion of light lambs (89 head).

If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2021, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is up over 138,000 head; 196,259 more hoggets have been processed, while 2,899 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered.

Spring lamb throughput remains down on this time last year by over 55,000 head.

Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending July 2):