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There has been no change in the sheep trade over the last week, with relatively high levels of throughput meaning there is little change to demand and prices paid.
There is some small movement in quotes, with Kildare Chilling reducing its base quote by 5c/kg to €4.80/kg, while Dawn has increased its base quote by 5c/kg to €4.80/kg.
Moyvalley Meats has increased its all-in quote to €5.00/kg, putting it ahead of Ballon Meats on an all-in quote of €4.90/kg and Kepak on a base of €4.85/kg. This leaves ICM on a base of €4.75/kg, with quotes running 20c/kg to 30c/kg ahead of the same week in 2016.
A high percentage of lambs continue to trade from €4.90/kg to €5.00/kg, with small numbers selling back to €4.85/kg.
Producer groups and specialist finishers continue to achieve the top prices ranging from €5.00/kg to €5.05/kg and a maximum of €5.10/kg or slightly higher when all bonuses are taken into account.
Factories are also utilising this supply route for a high percentage of lambs required for next week’s three-day kill, with northern lambs also remaining an important component of the kill.
The number of lambs imported from the North for direct slaughter last week totalled 8,709 head, a reduction of 2,798 from the spike in exports south in the previous week.
Looking at cumulative figures, the total number of sheep imported for direct slaughter is similar to 2017 and, at 387,286, is running 5,499 head above the same period in 2017.
The northern sheep kill is also similar to 2017 levels. At 401,782 head, there were 1,616 fewer lambs processed to the week-ending 9 December, while ewe and ram throughput, at 28,946, is running 1,515 head above last year.
Prices are steady at a base quote of £3.90/kg, which is the equivalent of €4.41/kg or €4.65/kg including VAT at 5.4%. Top prices are rising to £4.00/kg (€4.78/kg incl VAT), with the AHDB reporting British prices slightly higher at £4.05/kg to £4.08/kg for R grading lambs (€4.83/kg to €4.86/kg incl VAT).
The steady northern kill is in contrast to throughput in southern sheep plants, where the kill has been steadily running 6,000 to 7,000 head above last year’s levels in previous weeks.
The lamb kill is running 83,384 above last year’s levels and this, added to higher hogget throughput of over 125,000 head early in the year and over 46,000 extra ewes and rams processed, means the total kill is running 255,753 higher to the week ending 9 December.
Ewe prices are steady, with quotes of €2.70/kg to €2.80/kg and top prices of €2.90/kg to €3.05/kg.
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