This week is likely to the busiest week of the year in terms of sheep factory throughput. Plants have been handling higher numbers than normal in recent weeks and many are set to utilise their maximum processing capacity this week to satisfy demand for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha which starts on Thursday 30 June and finishes on Monday 3 August. Handling this level of throughput requires greater co-ordination and factories are sourcing and organising their kill for a few days in advance. The trade over the weekend held firm, with base quotes continuing to range from €5.40/kg to €5.50/kg. Sellers handling smaller numbers of quality-assured lambs negotiated a price of €5.50/kg to €5.65/kg. Producer groups and sellers with greater negotiating power who are trading at the higher end of the market are securing returns of €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg, with isolated deals at a higher level.
This week is likely to the busiest week of the year in terms of sheep factory throughput. Plants have been handling higher numbers than normal in recent weeks and many are set to utilise their maximum processing capacity this week to satisfy demand for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha which starts on Thursday 30 June and finishes on Monday 3 August.
Handling this level of throughput requires greater co-ordination and factories are sourcing and organising their kill for a few days in advance. The trade over the weekend held firm, with base quotes continuing to range from €5.40/kg to €5.50/kg. Sellers handling smaller numbers of quality-assured lambs negotiated a price of €5.50/kg to €5.65/kg. Producer groups and sellers with greater negotiating power who are trading at the higher end of the market are securing returns of €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg, with isolated deals at a higher level.
Lambs and ewes
Some plants are prioritising lambs this week and as such have less interest in ewes. In such cases quotes have dropped back to €2.50/kg to €2.60/kg. Where plants are operating as normal for ewes, quotes range from €2.65/kg to €2.70/kg, with top prices reported as being 10c/kg to 15c/kg higher.
Northern Ireland
The trade in Northern Ireland is also robust. Base quotes remain in the region of £4.70/kg or the equivalent of €5.20/kg. This price is exclusive of VAT, with the price Irish producers receive including 5.4% VAT. For comparison purposes, a price of €5.60/kg to €5.75/kg in southern plants equates to €5.31/kg to €5.46/kg in the North. Northern sellers trading at the higher end of the market are securing £4.80/kg (€5.31/kg) or 5p/kg higher in cases. Southern agents are reported as being very active in recent days in mart sales. Competition with northern buyers is keeping a strong floor under prices, with average prices running £12 to £15 per head higher than the corresponding period in 2019.
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