The latest weekly kill figures from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that the sheep kill is down over 50,000 head on this time last year.
Although before delving into this figure in more detail, the latest weekly throughput figures from the DAFM for the week ending March 28, saw the sheep kill amount to 49,846 – which was a substantial increase of 6,490 head.
Lamb/hogget throughput for that week was up 5,671 head from the previous week.
While ewe and ram throughput was also up (+819 head) on the week before.
These increases were primarily driven by key dates in the sheep calendar, such as Easter, and with buying for Ramadan in motion, throughput figures could continue to rise.
Weekly sheep kill
Week-on-week sheep kill supplies (week ending March 28):
- Lambs/hoggets: 44,941 head (+5,671 or +14.4%);
- Ewes and rams: 4,903 head (+819 or +20.5%);
- Total: 49,846 head (+6,490 or +14.96%).
However, looking at throughput figures to date this year it tells a different story to the increases seen in last week’s kill.
Overall, the sheep kill to date this year is 50,497 head less than this time last year.
The bulk of this decrease has obviously been seen in the lamb/hogget kill where 39,058 fewer have been processed in comparison to the same period in 2020.
11,499 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered in the same period also.
Supplies have been tight and this is well and truly being reflected in the kill figures so far this year.
Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending March 28):
- Lambs/hoggets: 491,941 head (-39,058 or -7%);
- Ewes and rams: 64,549 head (-11,499 or -15%);
- Total: 556,497 head (-50,497 or -8%).
