Demand for sheepmeat in the runup to Easter had been positive, with low supplies of New Zealand and UK sheepmeat in the EU market helping the generate a solid appetite for Irish exports.

This market situation has been vital given the high throughput in recent weeks.

With the Easter trade now in the background, attention this week will turn to filling contracts for the end of the Islamic festival of Ramadan which falls on 1 / 2 of May.

This should help avoid the lull in demand which often comes as markets rebalance in the week after Easter.

Purchasing activity on Monday has been low, which is not surprising with factories not processing on Friday of last week or on Monday of this week.

Hoggets continue to dominate throughput, with prices unchanged. A large percentage of quality-assured hoggets are trading from €7.25/kg to €7.40/kg, with deals at the top end of the market rising to €7.50/kg.

Overweight hoggets

There are still significant issues with overweight hoggets in the market and producers should be mindful as to potential penalties before moving hoggets. These range from 30c/kg or a maximum price cap of €160 per carcase.

While the Ramadan festival will bolster demand, it is likely that the spring lamb festival could be interrupted for a few days as butcher and wholesalers assess supplies and begin purchasing lambs again. Factory quotes are unchanged and in the region of €8/kg for quality-assured lambs. Top prices are in the region of €8.20/kg, with isolated deals at €8.30/kg or higher.

There will be further market updates published on www.farmersjournal.ie on Tuesday to report on the trade as it gets back to normal.