This week’s sheep trade has seen continued positivity with as much as 10c/kg added to last week’s factory price quotes.
Weekly sheep kill numbers have fallen off significantly since late September at a time when continued firm demand is underpinning prices currently being achieved in the sheep trade.
At the higher-end of the price scale, up to €8.50/kg is being paid for Quality Assured (QA) lambs and fat ewes are making up to €4.30/kg and more in cases.
Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €4.00/kg for fat ewes and €8.10/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for lambs up to 23.5kg leaving €8.30/kg on offer here.
Kildare Chilling has no official quote for lambs but is quoting €4.00/kg plus a 10/kg QA bonus for ewes with carcass weights from 35-43kg leaving €4.10/kg on the table here.
Other outlets are quoting €8.05/kg plus a 15c/kg QA bonus leaving €8.20/kg on the table in these cases.
Sheep trade: Butcher lambs hit €208/head at Kilkenny Mart
Kilkenny Mart hosted its weekly sheep sale on Monday, December 9, with over 600 head of sheep on offer in the sale.
Kilkenny Mart’s George Candler said “the trade is remaining very firm” and noted that butcher lambs peaked at €208/head while cull ewes sold for as high as €248/head.
Another pen of 20 butcher lambs with an average weight of 55kg sold for €200/head or €3.64/kg while a pen of six butcher lambs with an average weight of 52kg sold for €206/head or €3.96/kg.
Factory lambs made from €150-179/head or €3.40-€3.73/kg with a pen of 24 lambs with an average weight of 48kg selling for €179/head or €3.73/kg.
Store lambs made from €90-145/head or €3.40-3.71/kg with a pen of 10 lambs weighing 34kg on average selling for €120/head or €3.53/kg.
A pen of eight lambs with an average weight of 39kg sold for €142/head or €3.64/kg.