This week's sheep trade has seen factories move to reduce lamb price again this week.

Cull ewe prices have been cut at some sites and have remained steady at other sites.

The cumulative 2025 sheep kill is down 18% or 305,000 head on last year, according to Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) figures.

This week, Kepak is quoting €7.50/kg plus a 15c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus for spring lambs, leaving €7.65/kg on offer up to 22kg carcass-weight for this week.

This represents a price drop of 20c/kg since last Monday and 35c/kg in the past two weeks.

The Athleague, Co. Roscommon site is quoting €4.50-€4.60/kg for cull ewes this week, the same offer as last week.

Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €7.60/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for lambs, leaving €7.80/kg on offer here up to 22kg carcass weight. This price is down 10c/kg since last week and 20c/kg in the past two weeks.

The Navan, Co. Meath and Camolin, Co. Wexford-based outlets are quoting €4.50/kg for cull ewes again this week.

Kildare Chilling is quoting €7.60/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for lambs up to 22kg carcass-weight this week, down 10c/kg on last week.

For cull ewes, Kildare Chilling is quoting €4.80/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus on carcass weights ranging from 35-43kg.

Ballon Meats in Co. Carlow is quoting €5.10/kg for cull ewes - down 10c/kg since last week and €7.70/kg for lambs up to 22kg carcass weight, down 10c/kg this week.

There were over 5,000 head of sheep on offer at Carnew Mart on Thursday, September 4, with demand for ewe lambs "surpassing the demand for wether lambs," according to Eugene Clune.

There was a full clearance in the sale, with the trade driven by farmer demand for store lambs for grass.

Both light lambs and forward stores were in high demand. Lambs weighing above 50kg sold for €178-€199/head. Lambs from 45-49kg sold for prices ranging from €170-€183/head and lambs weighing from 40-44kg sold for prices ranging from €142-€157/head.

A pen of 10 ewe lambs weighing 42kg made €200/head. Another lighter pen of 15 27kg ewe lambs made €130/head. Ewes made up to €294/head for a 100kg ewe.