Tight supplies of hoggets and lambs – with shy of 32,000 slaughtered last week – is maintaining a strong floor under price, with no change in this week’s quotes.

Hogget quotes remain at €9.20/kg plus the plants’ 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment.

This leaves a significant number of hoggets trading from €9.40/kg to €9.50/kg, with prices secured by sellers handling large numbers continuing at upwards of €9.60/kg.

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Lamb prices are also firm, with Dawn Kildare offering a base of €9.90/kg plus its 20c/kg QA payment, while the two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants remain on €9.80/kg plus 20c/kg QA payment.

Ballon Meats has switched over from hoggets to lambs and is offering €10/kg all-in.

Top prices are in the region of €10.10/kg to €10.20/kg. Producers with heavy lambs should weigh up their best outlet with wholesale and butcher buying in marts strengthened by live exporter interest.

Exporters have ramped up activity this week, with a number looking at European markets, while one exporter is putting a consignment together for export to north Africa.

Demand is being boosted by tight supplies globally and the upcoming Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, which takes place from 26 to 30 May 2026.

Last week’s kill was recorded at just 31,770 head, similar to the previous week. Hogget throughput of 21,229 reduced by 2,144 head on the previous week and is 3,700 lower year on year.

Lamb throughput of 6,209 head increased by 2,410 compared with last week, but is still 2,724 lower than the corresponding week in 2025, while ewe throughput of 4,332 is steady on the week and over 1,700 higher than in 2025.

Dawn Kildare has reduced its ewe quote by 10c/kg.

The ICM plants are unchanged on a price of €5.30/kg and Ballon Meats remains top at €5.50/kg.

Northern Ireland

The number of sheep exported from Northern Ireland to Ireland for direct slaughter last week reduced from 2,205 in the previous week to 1,377 head.

But the number of sheep exported to Britain for direct slaughter almost trebled, rising from 635 to 1,890 sheep. Reports indicate that a firming in British prices and demand building ahead of Eid al-Adha is driving demand.

There is a fair bit of movement in base quotes for Thursday. Dunbia has reduced its hogget quote by 20p/kg and now matches ABP on £8/kg (€9.26/kg).

In contrast, Dunbia has increased its lamb quote by 10p/kg to £9/kg (€10.41/kg), while the lamb quote in ABP has jumped 40p/kg to £9/kg.

Reports indicate that supplies are tighter due to this week’s Balmoral Show and the fact that agents purchasing for export have increased activity.

British prices are reported in the region of £8.40/kg to £8.50/kg for hoggets (€9.72/kg to €9.83/kg) and £9.15/kg to £9.30/kg for lambs (€10.59/kg).