Recent sheep-kill data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has shown a spike in hogget ewe throughput.

In the past fortnight, the number of hogget ewes processed at department-approved meat processing plants has gone from double-digit figures up to over 1,500 head – which is unusual to see.

The hogget trade at marts since breeding sales kicked off in August have been mixed. Top-quality hogget ewes have been a good trade, with no lack of buyers and prices regularly breaking €200/head and as high as €250-260/head at general mart sales.

However, the trade for hoggets largely has been sticky, with plainer hogget ewes a tough sell, similar to last year, a point that mart managers have also noted in the last number of weeks.

Prices here for these plainer hoggets have been from €120/head up to €150/head in recent weeks, and even been below €100 at some sales.

These plainer-quality hogget ewes are therefore peaking the interest of factory agents that are in the mix for cull ewes at sales and as such are throwing their hat in the ring for these hoggets, with prices in many cases floating around what is being paid out for culls.

Despite factory prices back from the heights seen earlier in the year for ewes, demand is still very strong and this can be seen from the DAFM kill figures, with ewe throughput last week hitting over 13,500 head – an increase of over 2,500 head on the previous week.