Lamb prices have continued to remain unchanged in recent weeks, while higher sheep prices are available for producer groups than what factories are quoting.
Irish Farmers Association (IFA) sheep chairman Adrian Gallagher said lamb prices are ranging from €7.30g to €7.60kg with higher deals for larger and specialised lots.
Gallagher told Agriland that in recent weeks, processors are paying these prices up to a 22.5kg carcass weight, an increase of 0.5/kg.
This, he said, is a “signal that they’re not getting enough heavy lambs” as Gallagher explained that normally processors would raise this weight towards November.
He said numbers of suitable factory fit lambs are tight on the ground this week.
Meanwhile, speaking to Agriland at the 2024 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois, sheepmeat and livestock sector manager of Bord Bia Seamus McMenamin provided an outlook for the remainder of the year.
In particular, McMenamin referred to the impact of the sheepmeat coming from the southern hemisphere on the European trade.
He explained that an “advantage” for the Irish sheep trade are the “contracting flocks” in Australia and New Zealand which are currently in their “off-season”, which means they are experiencing “tight supplies of lamb”.
McMenamin said that the southern hemisphere prices are “increasing” and that Irish prices are “stable.
“it’s really narrowed their competitiveness on the European markets, which is sort of working to our benefit,” he said.
Spring lambs
This week, Irish Country Meats (ICM) is offering €7.00/kg plus a 20c quality assurance (QA) bonus, bringing its offering to €7.20/kg up to a 22kg carcass weight for a spring lamb – the same price as last week.
Other outlets have offered €7.05/kg plus a QA bonus of 15c/kg, a total of €7.20/kg for a spring lamb.
Cull ewes
Some processors are offering €3.80/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for ewes weighing from 35kg to 43kg, and €3.30/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for ewes weighing from 23kg to 35kg.
ICM are paying €3.70/kg for ewes, while other processors are paying €3.60/kg for ewes, and are offering €3.70/kg for ewes that are weighing over 30kg.