The sheep trade this week has seen some outlets reduce their prices for ewes, while others have increased their prices for spring lambs.
While some farmers may not be bringing their sheep to factories at present, they may welcome the news that Budget 2024 will include a boost in payments for sheep farmers who will see the payment per ewe increase to €20.
The payment, which currently stands at €12 per breeding ewe, will be increased by €8/ewe.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said last month that “the estimated full-year cost of increasing the SIS (Sheep Improvement Scheme) payment by €1/ewe would be approximately €1.9 million”.
Therefore, with an increase of €8/ewe, the cost of funding the increase for sheep farmers can be expected to reach €15.2 million.
Spring lamb prices
This week, Irish Country Meats (ICM) is offering €6.00/kg plus a 20c quality assurance (QA) bonus, bringing its offering to €6.20/kg up to a 22kg carcass weight for spring lamb – the price remaining the same as was reported last week.
Other outlets have increased their prices for a spring lamb by 10c/kg, and are offering €6.05 plus a 15c QA bonus.
Last year, base prices for lambs stood at €6.00/kg, showing little change in the comparison of this year’s prices to those in 2022.
Cull ewe prices
Last week, ICM had reduced its price for a cull ewe by 10c/kg.
It has done the same this week, as this factory’s prices for cull ewes have dropped by a further 10c/kg, and is now offering €2.60/kg for a ewe up to a 45kg carcass weight.
While other outlets have offered €2.50/kg for a cull ewe this week, this has fallen far behind the prices that were reported by Agriland 12 months ago in the sheep trade, which saw ewe quotes starting at €2.90-3.00/kg, with the top prices ranging from €3.30-3.60/kg.