With hogget numbers continuing to reduce, factory agents have become more active in sourcing spring lambs. Demand is also being helped by the upcoming Ramadan festival, which begins on 26 or 27 May and ends on 24 June.

The two ICM plants have increased quotes for Thursday to €5.90/kg, a lift of 20c/kg on last week. Kepak has increased its lamb quote by 10c/kg and joins Kildare Chilling on €6.00/kg, with Dawn Ballyhaunis also quoting a similar base price this week.

The strong factory appetite is reflected in agents’ purchasing activity in mart sales, as described in the mart report below. Plants are also keen not to miss out on any potential sales, with regular sellers and groups securing a price of €6.10/kg to €6.20/kg for quality assured lambs.

Some sellers are also securing an extra 0.5kg allowance in carcase weight, to 21kg.

Many procurement managers point to a significant percentage of spring lambs continuing to kill out of spec. The greatest issue is with overweight lambs, but there are also older lambs killing with an inadequate cover of flesh.

In contrast, the first draft of lambs born in February-lambing systems are dying well, with these producers advised to weigh regularly and move lambs before they go overweight.

This is a view echoed by IFA national sheep chair John Lynskey: “Demand is strong, with Ramadan providing an added boost to the trade. Producers should ensure they achieve the optimum returns by marketing lambs at the optimum weight and fat cover.”

Hogget numbers represent a reducing portion of the kill at 23,546 head out of total throughput of 52,404 last week. This is a fall of 1,845 head on the previous week. The overall kill increased by 6,000 head, but with demand growing, factories are keen to increase throughput.

All plants are on a base quote of €5.00/kg, apart from ICM on €4.80/kg.

Prices paid to regular sellers range from €5.10/kg to €5.15/kg, with top prices of €5.20/kg or weight allowances to 23.5kg used to entice specialised finishers with large numbers to sell.

The northern trade is solid, with plants competing hard to limit numbers of lambs flowing south. Spring lamb quotes are £4.60/kg (€5.66/kg), with regular suppliers securing 10p/kg higher.

Last week’s spring lamb and hogget kill increased 1,200 head to 5,736, while, with more sheep in the market, numbers moving south increased from 3,700 to 4,378.

The cull ewe trade remains under more pressure than previous weeks.

Quotes range from €2.50/kg to €2.60/kg, with top prices of €2.70/kg to €2.75/kg paid.

Plants are also more restrictive on carcase weights, with paid weights ranging from 40kg to 43kg in general.

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Sharp rise in spring lamb trade

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