There is more good news for farmers in this week’s sheep trade as hogget prices continue to increase.
After an extensive period of subdued trade, factory prices for hoggets have risen by 80c/kg or €18.40/head (on a 23kg carcass) in the past five weeks.
It appears the price increases are primarily demand-related as the weekly kills of sheep have also increased in line with the rising prices.
While the sheep trade is on the rise, processors have urged farmers not to send unfinished sheep and added that poor lambs will be priced at a lower rate.
Hogget price
Kildare Chilling is quoting €6.70/kg plus a 10c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus bringing its offering for hoggets to €6.80/kg. This outlet is paying up to 23kg carcass weight.
Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €6.55/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for hoggets bringing its offering to €6.75/kg up to a 23kg carcass weight.
Other outlets are quoting €6.65/kg plus a 15c/kg QA bonus for hoggets bringing their price offerings to €6.80/kg up to 23kg carcass weight.
Spring lamb
Spring lambs are starting to appear at sheep factory lairages around the country, albeit in small numbers.
As of Sunday, March 26, only 1,240 spring lambs had been processed, however numbers have increased since then and will likely ramp up significantly over the coming weeks.
Kildare Chilling is quoting €7.60/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for spring lambs bringing its price offering to €7.70/kg up to 20kg carcass weight.
ICM is quoting €7.55/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus bringing its offering up to €7.75/kg for 20.5kg carcass weight.
Other outlets are quoting €7.45/kg plus a 15c/kg QA bonus up to 20.5kg carcass weight leaving €7.60/kg on the table at these.
Cull ewes
Kildare chilling is quoting €3.40/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus up to 40kg carcass weight leaving €3.50/kg on offer for ewes here.
ICM is quoting €3.20/kg for ewes up to 45kg carcass weight while other outlets are €3.30/kg up to 46kg carcass weight.