Factories processing sheep are over mid-way through their busiest week of the year.

Processing activity ramped up from the middle of last week, as factories began to fill orders for the Islamic religious festival of Eid al-Adha, which takes place from Wednesday 28 June to Sunday 2 July.

The highest level of demand is at the start of the festival and, as such, demand is expected to decline from Thursday onwards.

This message has been circulated by factory agents over the last week to 10 days and this is also contributing to the high levels of throughput at present, with producers keen to take advantage of the spike in demand.

Quotes

Quotes have started the week in a variable manner, with many plants holding steady while others have eased base quotes by 10c/kg.

Kildare Chilling remain on a base quote of €7.70/kg, plus the plant's 10c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment. The two Irish Country Meats plants in Camolin and Navan have reduced base quotes by 10c/kg to €7.50/kg, plus the 20c/kg QA payment.

Other plants not quoting officially are reported as operating from a base of €7.60/kg to €7.65/kg plus a 10c/kg to 15c/kg QA payment.

A high percentage of lambs are trading from individual sellers from €7.70/kg to €7.80/kg, with lambs traded through producer groups and from producers, with greater negotiating power rising to €7.90/kg and hitting €8/kg when conformation bonuses are factored in to the price.

Variable hogget demand

Demand for hoggets is becoming much more variable. Kildare Chilling are not currently quoting for hoggets, while the two ICM plants have reduced their hogget quote by 25c/kg to a base of €6.60/kg plus 20c/kg QA payment.

Reports indicate that the quality of hoggets has also become much more variable, with heavy deductions for lots delivering excessive carcase weights or short on flesh cover.