Reports suggest that producers are having some success in securing 5c/kg extra from the market with general prices paid to individual sellers ranging from €4.70/kg for non-quality assured lamb to €4.75/kg.

At the higher end of the market, producer groups have secured 5c/kg to 10c/kg more by means of bonus payments.

Plants are sticking to their harder stance of 22.5kg carcase weight, but there has been some reports of allowances given to large-scale specialised finishers or agents handling large numbers to secure sales.

IFA sheep chair John Lynskey said factories have been unfairly using a relatively small volume of increased numbers of heavier lambs to undermine the market.

He added that factories need to adopt a more responsible and longer-term approach to ensure the continued supply of Quality Assured lamb out of season to meet their retail requirements on a full year-round basis and reduce their dependence on imports.

IFA president Joe Healy also said that hogget finishers are extremely frustrated with the loss-making prices on offer from the meat plants, which are down 65c/kg or €15 per head on this time last year.

With weight cuts, the losses are as high as €20 per lamb in some instances, he said.

CAP reform

John Lynskey added that following the recent EU Sheep Reflection Group, there were two key recommendations from the report.

These include increased targeted direct support for the sheep sector in CAP and increased promotional funding to avert declining sheepmeat consumption across Europe.

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Sheep prices: more bite for in-spec hoggets