Sheep price update: factories reduce quotes by another 10c/kg

Sheep producers have started the week facing further cuts, with factories pulling base quotes by another 10c/kg.

This leaves base quotes ranging from €8.50/kg to €8.60/kg, with opening prices for quality assured (QA) hoggets in the region of €8.70/kg.

Groups and regular sellers are securing returns of €8.80/kg, with some prices exceeding this range and rising to €8.90/kg when conformation bonuses are included.

Agents are working hard to try to curtail prices at the higher end of the market at €8.80/kg, with carcase weight limits being enforced stringently at 23kg carcase weight.

Despite another 10c/kg being cut from base quotes, marts held over the weekend were broadly steady, with heavier lowland hoggets weighing upwards of 50kg to 52kg selling from €200 to €207 in the main, with select lots of ewe hoggets and top-quality sheep hitting €210.

At the other end of the quality spectrum, hoggets lacking significant flesh cover and likely to achieve reduced slaughter performance are trading back to €190 to €195.

Vibrant ewe trade

The cull ewe trade, in contrast, remains vibrant, with agents stepping up activity over the last week.

Opening prices in factories are in the region of €5/kg, but plants are paying up to €5.20/kg to €5.30/kg depending on numbers and ewe type.

Abattoirs and plants specialising in the ewe trade are paying upwards of €5.50/kg, with select ewes in mart sales selling for the equivalent of up to €6/kg deadweight.

Higher numbers of fleshed lowland ewes are selling within a price range of €2.60/kg to €2.80/kg liveweight, with select lots of excellent-quality ewes rising infrequently to €3/kg and above.

Northern Ireland

Some factories in Northern Ireland are also trying to reduce quotes by 10p/kg, with opening prices typically in the region of £6.80/kg (€8.07/kg).

Some plants are trying to offer a lower opening quote, but there are very few sheep moving below this range, while prices at the higher end of the market are upwards of £6.90/kg (€8.19/kg).