Hogget trade in the marts over the last few days has recovered slightly from the lows of last week, and that has been reflected in the latest factory quotes, which are up 20p/kg to 330p/kg to 22kg.

However, prices for spring lambs are again under downward pressure, with factory base quotes now at 370p/kg and 380p/kg to 21kg.

According to the National Sheep Association (NSA), price falls in the market both here and in Britain are due to a ‘‘perfect storm’’.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “There are several factors contributing to the current situation: the strength of the pound; the economic situation on the continent; an increased New Zealand offering on our supermarket shelves; farmers in some regions lambing earlier in 2015 and a larger carryover of old season lambs from 2014.”

He urged producers with hoggets remaining to get these into the food chain as soon as possible to make way for new season stock to come through.

“This is an incredibly frustrating time for sheep farmers, but the sector should remain positive as the factors currently combining to depress trade are not permanent in nature,” he said.

Labelling rules

The added problem for the industry in NI is new country-of-origin labelling rules, which require NI lambs to be marked as ‘‘reared in the UK’’ when they are slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland. It is a factor in the reduced number of lambs going south for slaughter.

According to the NSA, a voluntary label which states that the lamb has been ‘Produced in NI and processed in the Republic of Ireland’ has been proposed. “We need both regions to support and get agreement on this,” said NSA Northern Ireland region development officer Edward Adamson.

However, it still does not get around the problem that these NI lambs must now be processed in separate batches by southern factories to comply with the new labelling rules, which adds to cost.

Meanwhile, sources in Dunbia (Europe’s largest lamb processor) have indicated that they intend increasing their local lamb kill this year.

The Northern Ireland Sheep Shearers Association (NISSA) has collaborated with the British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB) to provide Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) members with sheep shearing training courses ahead of the 2015 Balmoral Show.

A course was held this week in Templepatrick taken by BWMB’s regional and shearing manager Colin MacGregor, assisted by NI’s chief shearing instructor and past NISSA chair William Jones.

The YFCU competitions will be held on 13 May at the Balmoral Show, where competitors will battle for the Lister Silver Handpiece, which has previously been won by many who have gone on to become world-class shearers.

Potential trainees are reminded that the closing date for eight additional shearing training courses is Tuesday 19 May. See www.cafre.ac.uk