Significantly more bite has developed in the factory trade, with 10c/kg being offered officially and unofficially by factories as kill numbers run tight. Kill numbers for last week showed 49,465 sheep being slaughtered in Irish plants, which is down 6,062 head (11%) on the corresponding week last year.
Significantly more bite has developed in the factory trade, with 10c/kg being offered officially and unofficially by factories as kill numbers run tight.
Kill numbers for last week showed 49,465 sheep being slaughtered in Irish plants, which is down 6,062 head (11%) on the corresponding week last year.
This has been compounded by a dip in sheep numbers coming from Northern Ireland, with 4,867 sheep crossing the border last week, down 300 head on the same period last year.
In the main, quotes across factories are coming in close to the €7.20/kg mark for quality assured (QA) lambs.
Quotes
ICM official quotes are €7.00/kg plus 20c/kg QA bonus. Larger finishers and producer groups are securing prices of €7.30/kg to €7.50/kg, as more power has shifted in farmers’ direction when it comes to selling.
Heavy lambs in particular are being directed more towards marts, with deals being done in some cases on carcase limits and price for in-spec lambs.
Tight numbers of lambs passing through factories are being exasperated by lower carcase weights, both through poorly fleshed lambs being drafted for slaughter and factory agents having to purchase lambs live at weights of 40kg to 42kg in some cases to try to secure numbers, as wholesale buyers are swooping up heavier lambs.
Ewe trade
Quotes in the main plants remain are at around €4/kg, with a similar appetite to last week.
ICM official quotes are sitting at €4.00/kg.
Specialist buyers purchasing ewes for slaughtering in plants specialising in the ewe trade or in abattoirs handling excellent quality ewes remain at quotes of €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg in order to secure numbers.
Regular sellers or those with decent numbers of quality heavy ewes are securing somewhere in between these quotes, as similar to lamb trade, factories are trying to sway buyers away from live selling.
With prices of €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg seen to be easily achieved for these types, selling power again lies in farmers’ hands.
NI sheep
Base quotes have increased again this week by 10p/kg to 610p/kg (€7.11/kg) in Northern Ireland, as factories continue to struggle to compete with live lamb sales, with finished lambs selling in marts selling for £140 to £150/head.
While northern plants are quoting 610p/kg, sellers are securing 620p to 630p/kg (€7.23 to €7.34/kg) as factories scramble to compete with mart trade, with reports indicating the lifting of carcase weight to 22kg as a result of this as well, three months ahead of an increase in carcase limits compared with last year.
In Britain, factory prices are sitting at 660p to 670p/kg (€7.69/kg to €7.81/kg), with demand continuing to exceed supplies.
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