Sheep kill: Up 28,000 head on 2022
The overall sheep kill to date this year is running 3%, or just under 28,260 sheep ahead of the same time period last year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
While the supply of ewes and hoggets has increased, the supply of spring lamb is back by 15,500 head or 25% to date this year.
In the week ending Sunday, May 14, a total of 15,565 spring lambs were processed, down 20% from the 19,094 spring lambs processed in the same week last year.
The table below gives an analysis of the sheep kill to date this year. Click on the table and scroll left or right to view all the data.
| Category | Week 19, 2023 | Cumulative 2023 | Week 19, 2022 | Cumulative 2022 | Week 19 diff. | Cumulative difference | Weekly % diff. | Cumulative % diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lambs/Hoggets | 25,936 | 877,355 | 23,335 | 835,540 | 2,601 | 41,815 | 11% | 5% |
| Spring Lambs | 15,565 | 45,697 | 19,094 | 61,197 | -3,529 | -15,500 | -10% | -25% |
| Ewes and Rams | 5,544 | 100,592 | 6,610 | 98,598 | -1.066 | 1,994 | -16% | 2% |
| Light Lambs | 3 | 99 | 4 | 48 | -1 | 51 | -25% | 105% |
| Total | 47,048 | 1,023,743 | 49,043 | 995,383 | -1,995 | 28,360 | -4% | 3% |
As the table above indicates, the supply of hoggets this year is up by over 877,000 head, or 5% on the same time period last year.
The cumulative supply of ewes and rams is up by over 1,994 head, or 2% 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 contributed to this.
A return to a five-day kill in week 17 saw this rise again, before once again falling for weeks 18 and 19.
