This week’s move by the two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants in Camolin and Navan to increase paid carcase weight limits by 0.5kg to 22.5kg is said to be putting more pressure on competing plants to follow suit.

Part of the pressure appears to be coming from no upwards movement in price, with sellers looking to leverage higher returns from any source possible.

Reports indicate that while there has been no official movement, a number of factories are paying the higher weight limit to regular sellers, some producer groups and producers with greater negotiating power.

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Farm organisations are encouraging all sellers to put pressure on and dig in for the higher weight limit where there are lambs that may avail of the higher returns.

Prices are static, with Ballon Meats continuing to edge in front with its all-in quote of €7.80/kg.

Base quotes remain at €7.50/kg in ICM plants, along with the 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, while Kildare are quoting €7.60/kg plus its 10c/kg QA payment.

Reports point to other plants not quoting also operating in the region of €7.65/kg to €7.70/kg for QA lambs.

Many groups are securing returns of €7.75/kg to €7.80/kg by means of their payment programme, while there are infrequent deals being reports at the top end of the market at €7.85/kg and in cases €7.90/kg. This is confined to a small number of players.

Last week’s sheep kill fell by over 2,500 head to 36,055. This was partially due to a day’s less processing.

Many plants are operating well below capacity and continue to exhibit a stagnant appetite for lambs.

There are hopes this may improve as we get nearer to processing for Christmas contracts, but given how sluggish the trade and throughput has been in recent months, there is no certainty of any significant increase in demand.

The kill for last week was over 6,000 head lower than the corresponding week in 2024, with year-to-date throughput running over 430,000 head or 20% lower.

Ewe trade

The ewe trade is largely unchanged with the general run of quotes ranging from €4.30/kg to €4.40/kg.

Good-quality ewes are selling in such plants to €4.50/kg, while at the top end of the market, choice ewes are selling to €5/kg in plants and abattoirs specialising in ewes.

Northern prices

Plants in Northern Ireland have increased base quotes by 10p/kg to 15p/kg.

Quotes for Thursday are £6.40/kg, which at Wednesday’s weaker exchange rate of 88.2p to the euro equates to €7.26/kg. T

op prices are upwards of £6.50/kg (€7.37/kg).

Prices have also strengthened in Britain by 5p/kg to 8p/kg this week and are trending in the region of £6.70/kg to £6.75/kg (€7.65/kg).