Prices in the sheep trade this week (beginning Monday, January 22) have seen a moderate lift from the quotes provided by processors for lambs and ewes.
It is a welcome rise in the trade, which is already improving when compared to last year, according to Bord Bia’s sheep meat sector manager, Seamus McMenamin, who said that Irish sheep meat prices are starting 2024 ahead of 2023 levels.
Last week, McMenamin also noted that there will be a higher carryover of store lambs in 2024. He estimates this figure to be at approximately 40,000 head.
Lamb prices
Kildare Chilling has raised its offering for lambs by 10c/kg at the start of this week in the sheep trade and provided a quote for farmers today (Monday, January 22) only, of €6.70/kg, plus a 10c QA bonus up to 23kg for spring lambs, a total of €6.80/kg.
They are offering €5.00/kg for light lambs under 16kg, or those that are grading from an O2 to P1.
Other outlets have also raised their prices by 10c/kg and are quoting €6.60/kg plus a 15c/kg QA bonus, bringing their price offerings up to €6.75/kg, and these are paying up to 23kg also.
Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €6.55/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus bringing its offering to €6.75/kg, which is an increase of 10c/kg in a week.
Ewe prices
This week, there was a slight change in the cull ewe prices from Kildare Chilling which has raised its quotes for cull ewes weighing between 23kg to 35kg, while the quotes for other weights of ewe remained the same as last week.
In its quotes for Monday only, the outlet offered €2.70/kg plus a 10c QA bonus for ewes from 23kg to 35kg, which is an increase of 10c/kg since last week.
For ewes between 35kg to 43kg, Kildare Chilling offered farmers €2.90/kg plus a 10c QA bonus, a total of €3.00/kg for a better type ewe.
Ewes under 23kg will fetch a price of €2.00/kg from Kildare Chilling, as will rams up to a 43kg carcass weight.
ICM has risen its offering for fat ewes to €2.80/kg,while other outlets are offering €2.75/kg plus a 10c QA bonus for a ewe up to 35kg, a total of €2.85/kg.