Factories are holding firm on lamb price, with base quotes for Thursday ranging from €6.00/kg to €6.10/kg and an all-in quote of €6.20/kg in Ballon Meats.

A high percentage of quality assured lambs traded by producers with little negotiating power and in small numbers continue to move at a price of €6.15/kg to €6.20/kg.

Those selling through groups and with more negotiating power are securing returns of €6.30/kg to €6.35/kg, with top prices including conformation bonuses rising to €6.43/kg to €6.45/kg.

While movement on price has been slow, there has been some movement on carcase weight. The two Irish Country Meats plants have increased their carcase weight limit by 0.5kg to 22kg.

Reports indicate the number of lambs killing at higher weight is low, but this move will put pressure on competing plants to follow suit, with some groups or sellers with greater negotiating power already achieving the higher weight limit.

Producers with heavier lambs should question weight limits before committing to the sale and also weigh up the mart trade, where there is firm demand for heavier lambs.

Sheep kill

Last week’s sheep kill totalling 65,485 head was marginally higher than the previous week and 3,380 head higher than the corresponding week in 2021. This is being driven by ewe and ram throughput of 12,419 head running 3,000 head higher.

Total sheep throughput to-date at 2,284,861 head is running 140,985 higher. This is driven by 204,109 extra hoggets and 18,112 more ewes and rams processed, with the lamb kill running 81,252 head lower.

Ewe trade unchanged

The ewe trade is unchanged. Factory quotes continue to range in the main from €3.00/kg to €3.20/kg in export-orientated plants. Quotes in some wholesale-orientated plants are up to €3.50/kg, with regular sellers handling large numbers of heavy carcase top-quality ewes securing 10c/kg to 20c/kg above the going market rate.

NI production trends

The number of sheep drafted off farms in Northern Ireland is running almost 60,000 head higher than the corresponding period in 2021. The sheep kill is unchanged at about 350,000 head, but live exports are running significantly higher.

The number of sheep exported for direct slaughter in plants in Ireland, at 255,778 head to 15 October, is 16,540 higher, while the figure of 53,810 head exported to farms to the end of September is 17,657 higher year on year.

Exports to Britain for direct slaughter at 23,420 head (to 15 October) are unchanged, but exports to farms at 70,795 head is running 27,920 higher up to the end of September.

Base lamb quotes have increased by 5p/kg to £5.15/kg or the equivalent of €5.93/kg at Wednesday afternoon’s exchange rate of 87p to the euro.

Regular sellers and groups are securing 10p/kg higher, while prices at the top of the market are in the region £5.30/kg (€6.10/kg).