Factories have moved this week to try to reduce base hogget quotes by 10c/kg, with all the main processing plants reducing quotes.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants and Dawn Kildare are quoting a base €9.30/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, while Ballon Meats’ all-in quote of €9.30/kg is unchanged.

Reports show that plants not offering an official quote have also reduced base quotes by 10c/kg.

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The move leaves groups trading in the region of €9.60/kg to €9.80/kg. There is still deals being completed at €9.70/kg to €9.80/kg, but agents have become coyer in their purchasing behaviour.

While the reduction in base quotes is attracting most of the attention, a move by factories to reduce carcase weight limits by 0.5kg to 23kg is reducing the price per head for hoggets availing of full weight more than the price.

Demand for lambs is in contrast to hoggets, with Dawn Kildare increasing its base quote to €10/kg plus its 20c/kg QA payment.

This has lifted it above the two ICM plants, which have reduced quotes by 10c/kg to €9.80/kg plus 20c/kg QA payment.

Prices at the top end of the market are in the region of €10.10/kg to €10.20/kg.

Last week’s sheep kill was steady at 36,862 head. The kill was maintained by the ewe kill increasing by about 1,000 head to 5,876.

Hogget throughput fell by about 700 head to 28,540, while the spring lamb kill increased by about 400 head to 2,446.

The kill is 3,981 head higher than the corresponding week in 2025, but year-to-date throughput is running 6,780 head lower.

Ewe quotes are unchanged at €5.30/kg €5.50/kg, with prices ranging in the main from €5.40/kg to €5.60/kg and up to €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg in abattoirss specialising in the ewe trade.

Northern Ireland

The trade in Northern Ireland is variable, with Dunbia holding quotes relatively steady, but ABP has cut base quotes by 40p/kg.

This leaves quotes for Thursday ranging from £8/kg to £8.40/kg (€9.20/kg to €9.66/kg). This is the difference of £9/head on a typical 22kg carcase and highlights the importance of producers pricing around the get the maximum return.

A similar differential of 40p/kg is evident for lambs, with quotes ranging from £8.60/kg to £9/kg (€9.89/kg to €10.41/kg). There are various reports in Britain with prices ranging anywhere from £8.20/kg to £8.55/kg-plus, with supply varying between regions.

The sheep kill is running at a low level of 6,342, a further drop of about 200 head on the previous week. There was no updated import and export data released at time of going to print, but reports indicate more agents were looking at exporting sheep to Ireland for direct slaughter with a narrower differential between prices in Northern Ireland and Britain.