The increased throughput of sheep in the marts and an easing of prices have brought more sheep onto the market in the past week.

Department of Agriculture figures show that the weekly kill totalled 47,922 head in the past seven days, which is the first significant increase in slaughter numbers (up 16% on the previous week) of this year.

With plants only operating on a four-day week this week and next, they have moved to pull hogget prices back to €5.60/kg for today (Thursday). Plants are closed tomorrow (Friday) and Bank Holiday Monday.

Prices paid to specialised finishers and supply groups this week range from €5.90/kg to €6/kg. Some groups made deals at last week’s prices for hoggets killed on Tuesday and have benefitted as the base price was €5.80/kg before including bonuses.

Across the country, hogget numbers are dwindling and demand for new-season lamb is quickly gaining momentum. Numbers are not yet at a level to allow processors to switch over to spring lamb production, with some plants commenting that they killed between 1,000 to 1,500 spring lambs in the past week.

Base quotes for spring lambs are €6.20/kg with prices paid holding at €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg to 20kg. With an export market specification of 17kg to 19kg carcase weight, be careful that lambs do not run overweight.

Improved grazing conditions are bringing lambs to a finished condition faster than some producers may be aware of. Meal-finished lambs will have a higher kill out than grass-fed mid-season lamb, so ensure early spring born lambs are drafted regularly from 15 to 16 weeks of age.

In Northern Ireland, spring lambs are slowly appearing in factory lairages and marts. Quotes on spring lambs are £5.00/kg (€6.36 /kg including VAT), with hoggets slipping back to a base quote of £4.50/kg (€5.70/kg). Hogget prices have dropped 40p/kg in the past fortnight at northern plants.

Throughput at northern plants remains steady, with 4,640 hoggets and lambs killed last week. For the year to date, the NI hogget and lamb kill is running 30% ahead of the same period in 2013 at 86,427 head.

After a major dip two weeks ago, exports of northern sheep moving south for slaughter have recovered to 7,010.

Exports of northern sheep to southern plants now stand at 113,665 head in 2014. Northern export figures are 30% down on last year.

In Britain, 1.44 million lambs and hoggets have been marketed live in the first quarter of 2014. This is a drop of 8% on last year and one of the key reasons for the strong sheep trade across the water.

Hoggets in Britain are selling at £5.20/kg (€6.07/kg including VAT), with spring lambs selling to £4.80/kg (€6.07/kg including VAT).