The supply of spring lamb this season has fallen by 37% or just under 3,700 head on the same time period last year, according to the latest sheep kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
While it is still very early in the season, and spring lamb traditionally accounts for a low percentage of the overall weekly sheep kill at this time of the year, the trend reflects the decision made by many lowland sheep flocks to delay early lambing due to high costs and tight margins.
In the week ending Sunday, April 16, 1,760 spring lambs were processed, down 64% from the 4,844 spring lambs processed in the same week last year.
The table below gives an analysis of the sheep kill to date this year:
Category Week 15, 2023 Cumulative
2023Week 15, 2022 Cumulative 2022 Week 15 diff. Cumulative difference Weekly % diff. Cumulative % diff. Lambs/Hoggets 41,491 727,723 48,683 702,902 -7192 24,821 -15% 4% Spring Lambs 1,760 6,227 4,844 9,904 -3,084 -3,677 -64% -37% Ewes and Rams 3,754 79,386 4,759 75,195 -1,005 4,191 -21% 6% Light Lambs 21 74 14 40 7 34 50% 85% Total 47,026 813,410 58,300 788,041 -11,274 25,369 -19% 3%
As the table above indicates, the supply of hoggets this year is up by almost 25,000 head or 4% on the same time period last year.
The cumulative supply of ewes and rams is up by over 4,000 head or 6% on last year.
The graph below shows how weekly sheep slaughterings this year compare to last year:
As can be seen from the graph above, the weekly sheep kill dipped significantly in week 15. The four-day kill as a result of the bank holiday that week may have attributed to this.
Most sites also had a four-day kill in week 14 due to Good Friday, but kill numbers remained high despite this.
It remains to be seen when spring lamb supplies will begin to pick up, however the trend to date would indicate there will be a much lower supply of early spring lamb.