Farmer views: 'Too much work in sheep for too little reward'

Lamb prices have fallen by up to €40/head over the last number of weeks, with IFA sheep chair Adrian Gallagher demanding that factories halt the price cuts.

“Sheep farming is a low-income, vulnerable sector. The scale of the price cuts is undermining farmers’ viability and squeezing their margins even more.

“It’s a very depressing scenario for producers who have invested so much,” he said.

Marita Phelan, Co Offaly

“Everywhere is getting tight on grass. Growth is slow and the bit of rain is helping but we need the heat.

"Many farmers around are only finishing first cuts, and second cuts are not coming back as well as they should, fodder will be tight and hard got,” said Marita Phelan.

“A lot of people have gotten out of sheep because they don’t have the space or the fodder available. A field we cut for silage last year we got 167 bales off it, and this year there’s only 107 bales off it, so we will have to make those 60 bales up somewhere.

“We’re not going to keep as many sheep this winter as it won’t pay due to the hard spring, even though the sheep are all in great condition. We have spring lambs fit for the factory although the price is set to drop 30c/kg.

“We culled a few fat ewes and they varied between €3.80/kg to €4.10/kg. You would nearly get a better price in the mart than the factory, as the factory will probably pull the plug with everyone trying to get rid of stock due to the lack of grass.”

David Harney Co Galway

“We are trying to make the best of a bad situation with the weather.

“We are happy enough with the way the lambs are thriving, we haven’t sold many yet as we usually sell them as stores. The past five weeks have seen €30 coming off the price of lambs. We’re losing a quarter of a lamb, so the factories have a lot to answer for as it is getting serious for sheep farmers.

“There is going to be a serious shortage of sheep shearers coming down the line, as there’s no one getting into it and the wool is worthless. The 20c/kg we got for this year’s wool only just about paid for the day out.

“It is hard to see where lamb and ewe sales will be. No one wants to lamb the ewes as there is just too much work involved for too little reward at the moment, but I feel the lamb trade should hold well,” he added.

Edmond Roche, Co Cork

“Grass rates are poor enough and the ground is very dry. Even though we are getting bits of rain it’s not enough, and the cool northwesterly breeze is killing any bit of grass growth. We got a good first cut of silage. That should do us for the winter. The lambs are thriving, although they need newer fresh grass which is slow to come back and it’s hard to keep the quality in the grass.

“Sheep prices are slipping by the day, they are back towards €7.80kg from over €9kg and we don’t know why the drop is so serious, we would be hoping they would sit around €8kg. Prices are a little better in the mart but the factory weights of lambs are being targeted.

“The price of wool is completely on the ground with prices ranging between 15-20c/kg, and this wouldn’t pay a fraction of the cost to shear.”

Bernard Lynch, Co Cavan

“The grass is struggling and everything that is being ate is not coming back. We’re getting enough rain but the temperatures are very low.

“Lambs are after taking a bit of a knock back in the past week, someone said they are giving 20c/kg less on Monday. Every 20c counts and it’s all adding up. Cull ewes are a good trade around €4/kg.”

John Crosse, south Tipperary

“The grass situation is critical and there are only about eight weeks of the growing season left. The past number of days we had soft rain and you could see a bit of growth so it is turning, but very slowly. Contractors aren’t cutting silage, they are out spreading slurry.

“A lot of people are waiting to cut hay and the weather is not suiting it and people trying to make second cut silage are well behind, so farmers need to be mindful of their stocking rate.

“Lamb prices are very high when lambs are scarce and then once they become plentiful, they pull the prices. These low prices would not encourage any young person to get into sheep and is making it hard for those already in sheep to stay as the prices are not viable.”

Marion Dalton, Co Carlow

“It has been a tough year and sheep and lambs are not thriving. Ewes haven’t the same condition as they had in previous years. It was wet before they went into the sheds and wet when they got out of the sheds. It is hard to win, but feeding meal is the only way to go even though it is expensive.

“Something needs to be done with the price of wool, as it is costing roughly €3 to shear the sheep and some farmers are getting as little as 10c/kg. At the end of the day the wool has to be removed due to management and animal welfare reasons.

“Sheep numbers are falling due to the financial situation and many sheep farmers are getting older and the help isn’t there.”