The lamb trade is steady, with base quotes unchanged on last week and ranging from €6.00/kg to €6.20/kg.

The differential between quotes is leading to a significant variation in prices paid between and within plants.

Individual sellers with no real negotiating power are typically moving lambs at prices ranging from €6.20/kg to €6.30/kg.

Groups and regular sellers are securing prices ranging from €6.30/kg to €6.40/kg in the main, with some returns 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher depending on the pricing schedule in place.

The majority of plants have now moved to 21.5kg carcase weight, with some deals going to 22kg carcase weight, although many of these are typically at the lower prices mentioned.

Kill figures

Factory agents are more active for good-quality lambs and this is not surprising given last week’s throughput reduced by 6,209 head to 60,709. This does not reflect the drop in lamb throughput, which actually fell by 9,470 head to 45,637.

Last week’s ewe and ram kill was recorded at 13,557 head, the highest level for some time. The kill is running well ahead of the corresponding week in 2021, when 8,671 ewes were slaughtered, with year-to-date throughput of 237,932 similar to 2021 levels.

Poorly-fleshed ewes

Reports indicate there is a significant number of poorly fleshed ewes being slaughtered in factory plants, with producers moving ewes quicker to conserve grass supplies.

The high level of throughput is also being underpinned by a continued strong appetite from wholesale buyers filling orders for high-quality ewe carcases.

Quotes in factory plants range from €3.00/kg plus a 10c/kg quality assurance bonus in Kildare to €3.30/kg in the two ICM plants and €3.60/kg in Ballon Meats.

Prices for ewes range anywhere from €3.20/kg to €3.70/kg, with agents and buyers supplying the market for top-quality ewes negotiating higher.

This is evident in their purchasing power in mart sales, with this avenue the best outlet for heavy carcase ewes capable of killing over 45kg carcase weight.

Northern trade

Quotes in Northern Ireland plants have increased by 5p/kg to a base of £4.95/kg.

This is the equivalent of €5.73/kg at Wednesday afternoon’s exchange rate of 86.3p to the euro.

Producers are easily negotiating returns of £5/kg, with prices 10p/kg to 15p/kg higher paid to regular sellers.

Reports indicate that buyers purchasing sheep for exporting for direct slaughter in southern plants have been more active in recent days.

Some have commented that the increase in carcase weights is giving these buyers more purchasing power.

Buyers are keen to source higher numbers of lambs in advance of likely disruption to sales at the start of next week due to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in England.