Factory base quotes for lambs remain unchanged in the main following last week’s lift of 10c/kg.

Quotes have, in many cases, failed to keep pace with the live trade and prices paid to agents trading at the top end of the market.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants are quoting €7.30/kg for quality assured (QA) lambs, with Ballon Meats the only other plant quoting with an all-in quote of €7.40/kg.

Reports indicate that Dawn Ballyhaunis and Kepak are working from an opening quote of €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg for QA lambs, with Kildare Chilling said to be offering local producers a starting price of €7.50/kg for QA lambs to 22.5kg carcase weight.

Producer group procurement co-ordinators comment that last week’s price lift of 10c/kg has been quickly eroded by the trade moving upwards and reports of regular sellers handling large numbers securing returns ranging from €7.50/kg to €7.60/kg and higher at the top end of the market.

Some groups comment that they are losing an increasing number of sheep to the live trade, where prices are trending at comparable or higher returns.

While plants outside of the two ICM plants are slow to officially move to 23kg carcase weight, reports indicate that there are more sellers trading towards the higher end of the market having success in securing higher weight limits.

The tightness in supplies is evident in last week’s kill falling by over 2,500 head and recorded just below 55,000 head despite higher prices on offer.

The lamb kill of 47,539 head is running over 2,000 lower than the corresponding week in 2023, while the ewe and ram kill of 7,153 head is over 3,500 lower.

Total throughput for the year to date has seen over 200,000 fewer sheep slaughtered.

The cull ewe trade is unchanged, with quotes ranging in the main from €3.70/kg to €4/kg for fleshed ewes and rising to €4.30/kg to €4.40/kg in plants such as Ballon Meats specialising in top-quality ewe carcases.

Many plants continue to differentiate on ewe price for light carcase and ewes lacking flesh cover, with cuts of upwards of €1/kg being imposed. If in doubt, check weight limits before drafting sheep.

Northern Ireland

It is a similar picture in Northern Ireland, where quotes are lagging the live trade and leaving producer groups members disillusioned.

Base quotes for Thursday have increased by 5p/kg to 10p/kg, leaving opening prices ranging from £5.95/kg to £6/kg or the equivalent of €7.12/kg to €7.19/kg at 83.6p to the euro.

Agents trading at the top of the market would need to be receiving £6.20/kg to cover the increased returns paid in mart sales in recent days. Numbers travelling south for direct slaughter also reduced by over 1,000 head last week to 6,315.

British prices slipped by 6.5p to £6.17/kg (€7.38/kg) last week.