The number of sheep slaughtered at Irish sheep processing factories in the week ending Sunday, April 9, totalled 63,744, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Despite most sites operating a four-day kill due to Good Friday on April 7, supplies only dropped by 751 head on the previous week.
In the past few weeks, hogget price has increased by €1/kg and processing is up too; 57,467 hoggets were processed last week, which is back by over 1,100 head on the week prior but over 2,300 head above the same week last year.
Meanwhile, 4,359 ewes and rams were slaughtered last week, which is up 200 head on the previous week.
Last week’s sheep kill (week ending April 9):
- Hoggets/lambs: 57,467 head;
- Spring lambs: 4,467 head;
- Ewes and rams: 4,359 head;
- Total: 63,744 head.
Sheep kill to date
Taking a look at this year’s overall throughput figures to date, 766,384 sheep have been processed in the first 14 weeks of this year.
Of that figure, 685,232 have been hoggets/lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (75,632), spring lambs (4,467) and a small number of light lambs (53 head).
The graph below shows the weekly sheep kill in the first 14 weeks of this year, compared to 2022:
As the graph above indicates, supply has remained well above 60,000 head for the past three consecutive weeks.
The increase in hogget prices has helped to restore some level of confidence in the sector after a prolonged period of subdued prices.
If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2022, we can see that the total number slaughtered is up by 5% or 36,643 head.
32,000 additional hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels in excess of 5,100 head.
Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending March 12):
- Hoggets/lambs: 686,232 head (+32,013 or +5%);
- Ewes and rams: 75,632 (+5,196 or +7%);
- Total: 766,384 head (+36,643 or +5%).