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Farmers at Tullow Mart last week spoke to Katriona Kinsella about Brexit and the sheep trade.
"I think the way Britain has gotten their deal through with no tarrifs, it is probably a positive sign for sheep farmers here.
"I am in the pedigree end of it too, there is a great buzz in it at the minute.
"I would be confident that 2021 will be a good year for sheep, with the workload that is involved with sheep - it’s not everyone that is going to get into them."
"2020 is as good of a year as I have ever been in sheep.
"It has been consistent from the start to the finish of the year.
"Hopefully, going forward, we will find a happy medium, so we won’t be back at the floor with prices in a year or two again for fat lambs.
"If we found a happy medium now, it would be a happy place for sheep farming.
"Brexit would be a concern - a lot of lambs are exported to the French market and the UK.
"It looks like sheep farming is going to be OK, but nobody has a clue."
"It’s great to see a deal having been struck.
"Sheep prices are phenomenal this very minute. I am a sheep farmer myself and 2020 has been a great year for sheep, but it is all needed.
"I am a little bit concerned about the price of the product for 2021.
"We are around that €6/kg price, so if we can keep up this momentum and push it on into March and April, so the farmers who have bought the good, dear, store sheep can get their returns.
"I am just concerned about the play-out of Brexit with trade and the movement of stock.
"Having said all that, 2021 will be a good year ahead, but there are things we need to be mindful of."
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