Hill-bred store lambs are back by as much as €25/head on last year according to Kenmare Mart manager Dan McCarthy.
The Kerry-based mart’s manager spoke to Agriland at the Teagasc National Hill Sheep Conference on Wednesday (February 15).
During the conference, McCarthy highlighted concerns he has for hill farms and the future of them in light of a very difficult time for prices which has been the case for some time now.
Speaking to Agriland, Dan said: “The store lamb has been a very tough trade and with factory prices the way they are, there is huge concern around the future of the store lamb trade for hill-bred lambs.
“Feed prices are at an all time high and the returns aren’t their to be made.
“The concern for me is that if this continues the hill lamb could become extinct and the hill farmer will be gone too then after that.
“The next generation aren’t going to travel the hills to gather the sheep at the money they are making currently.
“What’s happening is that those on hill farms will cut back ewe numbers for sure after what they have been getting for their stores over the last few months.
“If the same trend continues next backend into the following year, the ram will be held back altogether.
“Feeding a ewe in the run up to lambing, for two months or so and she is producing a store lamb that is making €30-50/head, it’s not viable and it’s all over; it’s as simple as that.
“Those lambs are back €20-25/head on last year and that’s a result of feed costs going up on farms that are finishing these lambs and it’s just having a knock-on effect down along the line.”
In terms of trade and what he is seeing in Kenmare Mart for these stores, Dan said: “You’ll always have customers for the good lambs with Suffolk breeding in them for example.
“But the lambs coming off the mountain are the biggest concern and what the future holds for them.
“They have been a very tough trade the last number of months. Very difficult indeed.”
In terms of what the future holds for hill sheep farmers, Dan said: “The age profile is worrying.
“That’s a common them across the country, the age profile of farmers involved in drystock enterprises and the only way the next generation will continue on farming is if something can be made out of it.
“If a few pound can be made out of it [the hill farming] we most certainly will continue on and the next generation will as well in some capacity, but as we see now, most farmers work off now as they have too and that will continue.
“But we will keep going until the end if it’s anyways viable but currently it’s a struggle.”