Sheep trade: Up to 30c/kg of a cut for spring lamb prices

Prices for sheep have been reducing on a weekly basis over the last month, and the frequent reports of over €9/kg for spring lambs are now long gone.

The most recent cuts from factories this week are a lowering of up to 30c/kg for spring lambs. On a 21.5kg carcass, this represents a loss of up to €6.45/lamb in the space of a week.

Prices this week are firmly ahead of those seen last year, as base prices for hoggets are currently standing at €6.80/kg, with base quotes for spring lambs being from €7.80-7.90/kg this week.

One year ago, base prices for hoggets stood at €6/kg, while base prices for spring lambs ranged from €7-7.20/kg.

Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) sheep chairman Adrian Gallagher has said the “practice of quoting prices that in way no reflect the market is angering farmers and is undermining producer groups who have made commitments to factories for the coming months”.

Gallagher has called on factories to be “responsible in their pricing of lambs and hoggets,” and to stand “firm” in the market place to maintain prices to sheep farmers.

Sheep trade- hogget prices

This week, ICM is quoting €6.80/kg, plus a 20c/kg QA bonus, which is a total of €7.00/kg for a hogget, which is a 20c/kg cut in price since last week.

Kildare Chilling are not quoting for hoggets today.

Spring lamb prices

For today only (Monday, July 1), Kildare Chilling are offering €7.90/kg plus a 10c/kg quality assured (QA) bonus for a spring lamb up to 21.5kg, and a 30c/kg reduction in price since last week.

Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €7.80/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for spring lambs up to 21.5kg, a total of €8.00/kg, and a 20c/kg drop in price since last week.