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After two difficult weeks of price reductions, there is more bite for spring lambs. Factory quotes have stabilised and even improved slightly after significant falls.
Both Kildare Chilling and Kepak Athleague have increased their quotes by 10c/kg to a base of €6.00/kg and €5.90/kg respectively.
Irish Country Meats remains on its base quote of €5.80/kg excluding bonuses.
Most farmers are securing prices of €6.00 to €6.10/kg for lambs.
Producer groups and farmers with large numbers on hand are securing higher prices of up to €6.20/kg.
Prices have stabilised in the marts too after the recent falls, with factory agents reportedly keen for factory lambs again.
Numbers seem to be playing a role in the improvements. The late spring has delayed supplies of mid-season lambs coming on stream.
Farmers have also been more proactive weighing and drafting lambs regularly as they come fit, which has limited the volume of lambs being processed.
Hoggets are getting very scare now, with just 9,722 head killed last week and factories are becoming more dependent on already tight lamb supplies.
The quality of hoggets on offer are extremely mixed too, according to factory agents, which is having an impact further down the line.
With the total kill over 6,000 head behind where it should be for the time of year, factory agents are under pressure to secure numbers.
Just two factories are quoting for hoggets now, with both Kildare Chilling and Irish Country Meats on a base of €4.90/kg excluding bonuses. Ballon Meats is no longer quoting for hoggets.
IFA national sheep chair Sean Dennehy said farmers need to dig in hard and insist on full value for their lambs.
He said farmers should desist from moving any under-finished or underweight lambs and continue to sell as lambs become fit.
He said supplies are very tight on the ground and factories are struggling to get numbers to meet market demand.
Northern Ireland
Lamb prices in the north have risen by 5c/kg to a base of £4.75/kg (€5.70/kg including VAT at 5.4%). Farmers continue to secure prices of £4.75/kg to £4.80/kg currently.
Cull ewes
Cull ewe prices have steadied after falls of 10c/kg last week. Ballon Meats increased its quote to €3.10/kg.
Both ICM plants and Kepak have held their base price of €2.80/kg. Kildare Chilling has a higher quote of €2.90/kg.
Top prices paid range from €3.00/kg to €3.20/kg.
The ewe and ram kill was 10,032 head, up 3,000 head on the same period last year.
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