Many producers had feared a significant drop in price this week following the holiday weekend and one day’s less processing.

While base quotes have reduced by 10c/kg, there is relatively strong demand, with most factories keen to handle the strong numbers coming on stream in recent weeks.

Base quotes range from €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg for Thursday.

Lambs traded up to midweek were trading in the main from €5.80/kg to €6.00/kg, with select deals exceeding this range.

Prices reported as the week progresses are generally in a range of €5.75/kg to €5.95/kg for quality assured (QA) lamb.

Base quotes range from €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg for Thursday

The two Irish Country Meats plants have increased carcase weight limits to 21kg.

The company states that the increase across the board is one month earlier than in 2019 and is being taken to allow producers flexibility to bring lambs to heavier weights.

There has been an increase in the number of light and under-finished lambs appearing in the last week and it is hoped that where meal is being fed to improve lamb finish, it will capture and reward more lambs killing into 21kg carcase weight.

Ballon Meats is also looking for lambs for the wholesale market and is paying to 21.5kg carcase weight.

Lambs traded up to midweek were trading in the main from €5.80/kg to €6.00/kg

The advice to producers is to continue to draft lambs on a combination of weight and fat cover.

Light lambs killing under weight has a major impact on the carcase trade, with this significantly affecting lamb presentation.

Throughput for last week was recorded at 57,811 head, which was marginally up on the figure of 56,125 in the previous week.

This included 46,370 lambs and 7,522 ewes and rams, while the number of hoggets has reduced to just 3,919 head.

This is significantly lower than the figure of 12,605 head for the corresponding week in 2019.

Throughput for last week is running 4,799 head lower than the corresponding week in 2019, but it must be pointed out that this kill was driven by the Ramadan festival, which moves forward in the calender by approximately two weeks each year due to differences between the Georgian and Islamic calendar.

The kill for the year to date, at 1,080,355 head, is running 40,984 sheep above 2019 levels.

There has been an increase in the number of light and under-finished lambs appearing in the last week

Hogget throughput earlier in the year was running over 70,000 head higher, but with smaller kills in recent weeks, this is now running 43,208 head higher.

The strong lamb throughput is underpinning higher throughput of 19,756 head.

The ewe and ram kill has increased in recent weeks, but is still running 21,998 lower.

In contrast, throughput of ewes and rams has been much tighter since the turn of the year. Numbers handled are recorded at 125,575 head, which is a reduction of 21,111 head on the corresponding period in 2019.

The strong lamb throughput is underpinning higher throughput of 19,756 head

Ewe quotes range from €2.50/kg to €2.70/kg. A significant number of ewes are trading from €2.55/kg to €2.65/kg, with top prices 10c/kg higher for select ewes.

Hogget prices range in general from €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg for in-spec lots. Factories comment that aged heavy-carcase hoggets and poor-quality lots killing under-fleshed are being quoted at ewe prices.

Quotes in Northern Ireland plants have reduced by 20p/kg to 25p/kg and range from £4.70/kg to £4.75/kg. This equates to €5.28/kg to €5.34/kg and €5.58/kg to €5.62/kg including VAT at 5.4%.