The lamb trade remains in a constant state for a high percentage of sellers, with base quotes unchanged at €7.60/kg to €7.70/kg.

When quality assurance (QA) payments of 10c/kg to 20c/kg are added in, it leaves opening prices for QA lambs in the region of €7.80/kg. Groups and regular sellers continue to secure 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher.

There are reports in recent days of some sellers trading at the high end of the market securing €8/kg to €8.05/kg, but such prices have been paid sporadically and are typically confined to sellers handling large numbers and possessing keen negotiating power.

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Outside of these deals, procurement agents are maintaining a hard stance on price and curtailing upper prices paid to in the region of €7.90/kg.

There is also no movement on weight limits. This contrasts to last year, when weight limits edged upwards at this time of year, but then subsequently faced downward pressure.

Some groups have it built into their payment agreement for weights to increase to 22.5kg, but not until 1 November.

Last week’s throughput dipped again by about 1,000 head to 40,501.

The kill is running 14,475 head lower than the corresponding week in 2024, with lamb throughput of 34,779 some 12,760 lower, while ewe and ram throughput of 5,702 is 1,451 lower. Throughput for the year to date is now over 410,000 head lower – a 20% decline.

The ewe trade is also static, with a big differential remaining between the majority of plants and plants or abattoirs specialising in the ewe trade.

The general run of prices quoted is €4.30/kg to €4.50/kg, with plants operating at the top end of the market paying upwards of €5/kg.

Northern trade

The trade in Northern Ireland is steady to 5p/kg lower, with plants quoting a base of £6.40/kg to £6.45/kg or the equivalent of €7.38/kg to €7.44/kg. Regular sellers and groups are being paid 10p/kg to 15p/kg above base quotes.

Agents purchasing sheep for export to Britain are slightly more active, but numbers exported remain small, with a narrow differential limiting opportunities to export and deliver a margin.

The latest Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) market update shows lamb prices reducing by 12p/kg to £6.66/kg (€7.68/kg).

The AHDB is also reporting continued pressure on sheepmeat sales. It reports that lamb retail products saw a 14.7% decrease in volumes purchased (-2,426t) accompanied by a 12.2% decrease in spend year on year to the week ending 7 September 2025.

The data generated by Worldpanel by Numerator UK saw average prices paid increase by 2.9%.

Total primary lamb cuts saw a 21.9% volume decrease in volumes purchased during the 12-week period, driven by declines across the majority of cuts.