Challenges continue to mount for sheep producers trading lambs, with base quotes falling by as much as 50c/kg week on week.

The greatest fall has occurred in the two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants, with their base quote reduced by 30c/kg over the weekend and another 20c/kg for Thursday.

This leaves their base price at €8.80/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment and is similar to Ballon Meats’ all-in quote of €9/kg.

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Dawn Kildare reduced by 30c/kg over the weekend, but held its base quote for the end of this week at €9/kg plus 20c/kg QA payment.

The higher quote will be at least a small benefit for producer groups working on a payment mechanism of the average of quoted prices.

Prices paid earlier in the week ranged anywhere from €9.20/kg to €9.40/kg, with higher-priced deals generally for lambs purchased in the previous week. Prices range from €9/kg to €9.30/kg as the week has progressed.

Factory agents remain coy in their quoting behaviour and are typically only quoting for the following day or possibly two days’ kill.

A number of plants are also only slaughtering for three or four days given the low kill figure.

Last week’s sheep kill was recorded at just 37,246 head, an increase of about 800 head on the previous week.

This includes 30,165 lambs, 5,124 ewes and rams and 1,957 hoggets.

The hogget figure looks significant for the time of year, but this has been a growing trend in recent years and is 500 head lower than the corresponding week in 2025.

Base hogget quotes have also reduced by about 50c/kg, with only the two ICM plants offering an official quote of €7.80/kg plus their 20c/kg QA payment.

Reports indicate that specialist finishers are securing returns in excess of €8/kg for suitable sheep.

The trade for ewes is unchanged, with the majority of plants working off an opening prices of €5/kg and paying 10c/kg to 20c/kg higher to sellers handing significant numbers, while at the top end of the market, upwards of €5.50/kg is being paid in Ballon Meats and other abattoirs specialising in the ewe trade.

Such abattoirs are handling a higher number of ewes and this is influencing the ewe and ram kill figure running over 40,000 head higher year on year.

Sheep numbers killed in these abattoirs were accounted for under local authority figures in 2025, but have passed the throughput threshold to be now counted in the Department weekly figures, which is giving an inflated kill figure.

Northern Ireland

Base quotes in factories in Northern Ireland have fallen by 50p/kg week on week and are in the region of £7.50/kg (€8.68/kg) for Thursday.

Prices in Britain are also reducing, with this week’s trade in the region of £8.20/kg to £8.35/kg (€9.49/kg to €9.66/kg) and facing further renewed pressure.