Sheep kill: Hogget and lamb supplies show a slight drop
At a time when hogget prices are climbing to new heights, their supplies have become tighter in recent weeks.
This is reflected in the latest sheep kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), which have shown that 38,969 lambs/hoggets were slaughtered last week (ending Sunday, February 25).
It is 2,659 fewer lambs and hoggets slaughtered than the previous week, and the lowest since the first week of the year.
With tighter supplies, prices for the hogget trade in particular could benefit from the reduced numbers.
The table below gives an overview of the sheep kill for week 8 (ending Sunday, February 25) and the cumulative kill to date this year, compared to the same time period in 2023.
| Type | 2024 week 8 | 2024 cumulative | 2023 weekly | 2023 cumulative | Weekly difference | Cumulative difference | 24 vs. 23 % weekly difference | 24 vs. 23 % cumulative difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lambs/hoggets | 38,969 | 343,512 | 45,569 | 368,741 | -6,600 | -25,229 | -14% | -7% |
| Spring lambs | 0 | 8,571 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8,571 | – | – |
| Ewes and rams | 5,594 | 40,748 | 5,795 | 50,279 | -201 | -9,531 | -3% | -19% |
| Light lambs | 1 | 19 | 5 | 27 | -4 | -8 | –80% | -30% |
| Total | 44,564 | 392,850 | 51,369 | 419,047 | -6,805 | -26,197 | -13% | -6% |
The overall throughput so far this year is over 26,000 head lower when compared to the same period last year.
There is also a notable decline in the numbers of ewes and rams slaughtered in 2024 when compared to the same period last year, as there are 9,531 fewer processed so far this year.
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 392,850 sheep have been processed so far.
Of that figure, 343,512 have been lambs/hoggets, 8,571 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (40,748), and a small portion of light lambs (19).
