Hogget prices continue on an upward trend, as plants struggle to cope with tightening supplies. Prices of €5.80/kg to €5.90/kg have become more common in recent days, with large-scale finishers or those with higher numbers in the strongest position.

There were also reports yesterday of €5.95/kg being paid for large lots, with other sellers setting €6.00/kg as the line in the sand they are not willing to trade under. Today, Moyvalley Meats increased its hogget quote by 10c/kg and ICM has quoted for hoggets again after failing to quote last week.

The rising price is also starting to attract more ewe hoggets that were intended to be used as replacements for breeding flocks.

Tighter supplies of hoggets has also put more life into the trade for spring lambs, with butchers driving the trade. Deals of €6.75/kg to €6.90/kg have become more common in recent days, with sellers with prime spring lambs securing up to €7/kg. This is also evident in marts where young, fleshed lambs are selling briskly.

Moyvalley Meats has increased its all-in quote by 10c/kg this week to €6.80/kg. Both Kildare Chilling and ICM have a base quote of €6.40/kg for lambs, but sellers are securing prices of 20c to 40c above base quotes. Kepak Athleague failed to quote for spring lambs again this week.

Some factories are commenting that the quality of spring lambs coming out is variable, but this is to be expected given the cold and very wet weather, which is affecting thrive.

The weather is also playing a part in the low spring lamb throughput, with numbers back 1,943 compared with the corresponding week last year.

IFA national sheep committee chair John Lynskey said butchers are paying up to €7.00/kg and factory prices are ranging from €6.60 to €6.95/kg for spring lambs.

On weights, John said, after what has been a very difficult spring so far, spring lamb producers need to be getting weights up to 21kg for April/May and increasing from 1 June.

Cull ewes

Demand for cull ewes increased significantly. As reported in SheepWatch below, heavy fleshed ewe prices increased by €5 to €10/head.

Quotes in all plants are €3.00/kg, but reports show higher prices being negotiated of €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg.

Dealers and agents with numbers are securing up to €3.40/kg.

Northern trade

Supplies have also tightened considerably in the North, with last week’s hogget and lamb kill falling to just 3,422 head, over 1,400 lower than the corresponding week in 2015.

Throughput of ewes and rams fell to just 259 head.

Throughput is being limited by agents purchasing for southern plants, with competition particularly strong in mart sales.

This contributed to the number of sheep exported south for direct slaughter rising last week to 6,373 head.

NI quotes remain unchanged with hoggets ranging from £4.15/kg to £4.20/kg (€5.45/kg to €5.51/kg) and spring lambs generally quoted at £4.60/kg (€6.04/kg).