The hogget trade looks to have turned a corner, with factory agents exhibiting much more interest in sheep this week.

Prices have stabilised and some factories that moved to lower base quotes to €8.50/kg have had to reverse cuts and raise back to €8.60/kg.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants remain unchanged on last week on a base quote of €8.60/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, while Ballon Meats this week is on a similar all-in quote of €8.80/kg.

The majority of QA hoggets are trading upwards of €8.80/kg, with groups and regular sellers securing returns of €8.90/kg by means of their group payment structure.

Top prices paid for U grading lambs and to finishers handling large numbers have been recorded from €8.95/kg to upwards of €9/kg.

Some factories are keener to give allowances on transport costs rather than pay higher.

Concerns remain with hoggets deemed overweight and overfat, with procurement managers said to be monitoring the situation closely.

There are few reports to date of price penalties being imposed, with the exception of hoggets killing at very heavy weights, while deductions of 20c/kg to 40c/kg are built into some groups’ payment structures for hoggets killing with excessive fat scores.

Last week’s kill dropped by another 1,700 head and was recorded at just 35,238.

This included 31,470 hoggets and 3,766 ewes and rams.

The low hogget kill explains more life in the trade this week, with throughput running a substantial 16,609 head, or 35%, lower than the corresponding week in 2024.

Year-to-date throughput is already running 73,492 head, or 29%, lower after just five weeks.

Demand for ewes is solid, with quotes remaining unchanged and ranging in the main from €5/kg to €5.20/kg for good-quality ewes.

Quotes of €4.80/kg are reported in plants not quoting, with reports continuing to show marts benefitting from a vibrant live trade and farmers opting to market ewes live.

Quotes for lighter ewes weighing less than 20kg to 25kg in some plants are in the region of €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg, with ewes lacking significant flesh cover facing cuts of upwards of €1/kg.

Northern trade

The trade in Northern Ireland is witnessing a similar boost in demand for hoggets.

Linden Foods has increased its base quote for Thursday by 10p/kg to £7/kg or the equivalent of €8.29/kg at an exchange rate of 83.5p to the euro.

Groups and regular sellers are securing 10p/kg higher, while at the top end of the market, finishers are receiving 15p/kg to 20p/kg higher.

Prices in Britain have also rebounded and increased by 10p/kg, with prices averaging in the region of £7.40/kg.

Prices in marts are more positive after some pressure inflicted on the trade in recent weeks.