Prices for lambs have held from some processors, while others have increased their offerings, with other processors not providing quotes at all.
This week, base prices for spring lambs are currently standing from €6.80-6.95/kg.
One year ago, base prices for spring lambs stood at €6.30/kg, while those in the quality assured (QA) bracket fetched from €6.45-6.50/kg.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) sheep committee chair Adrian Gallagher lead delegations of IFA sheep committee members in meetings with sheep factories recently.
The delegation set out to the factory management teams “the damage the severity of the price cuts was doing to the sector” and the impact it would have on decisions farmers will make for the breeding season.
The IFA sheep committee chairman said he called for an immediate stop to the price cuts and a return to a price that reflect the costs of lamb production on farms.
Spring lambs
Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €6.90/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for spring lambs up to 22kg, a total of €7.10/kg.
Kildare Chilling is not quoting for spring lambs today.
Other outlets are paying €6.95/kg plus a 15c QA bonus up to 22kg, a total of €7.10/kg and an increase of 15c/kg.
Hoggets
This week, ICM is quoting €5.80/kg, plus a 20c/kg QA bonus, which is a total of €6/kg for a hogget, which is the same price as last week.
Other processors are not providing quotes for hoggets.
Cull ewes
Kildare Chilling, for ewes weighing from 35kg to 43kg, are paying €4/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus this week.
The processor is also paying €3.60/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for ewes that are weighing from 23kg to 35kg, while thin ewes will be paid at €3/kg.
ICM is paying €3.90/kg for ewes this week, while other processors are paying €3.80/kg plus a QA bonus of 10c/kg for ewes weighing over 30kg.