LATEST ARTICLES
Sheep
EU regulation curtailing live sheep exports
Darren Carty
A different interpretation of rules concerning testing for Brucella ovis is said to be preventing exporters from moving sheep in advance of the Eid al-Adha festival in early June.
14 May 2025 Markets
Sheep mart prices: factory pressure hitting live sales
Hogget prices are under pressure in marts, with agents standoffish and much coyer in their purchasing activity.
12 May 2025 Markets
Sheep price update: pressure remains on hogget price
Factory agents are focused on curtailing hogget prices to €8.50/kg to €8.60/kg, leaving specialist finishers with significant numbers trading into a challenging market.
Sheep Trends: demand and supply finely balanced
Spring lamb numbers are slow to increase and remain at 5,605 head out of last week’s kill of 40,857.
7 May 2025 Markets
Sheep price update: lamb and hogget price 80c/kg lower than in 2024
The latest Bord Bia sheep price dashboard shows Irish farmgate prices averaging €8.63/kg excluding VAT, while UK prices are running €2/kg behind the corresponding period in 2024.
5 May 2025 Markets
Sheep price update: steadier tone as numbers tighten significantly
Base quotes for Monday are steady on last week, with some mart sales reporting a slightly sharper trade, with sale entries well back on previous weeks.
28 April 2025 Markets
Sheep price update: hoggets and lambs fall by another €3 to €5/head
Agents have shown less of an appetite for sheep this week, with factories reportedly handling lower numbers.
23 April 2025 Markets
Easter buying ends with 20c/kg lamb price cut
Base quotes for Thursday have reduced in most plants by 20c/kg with hoggets also hit with a cut to base quotes of 10c/kg to 20c/kg.
17 April 2025 Markets
Sheep Trends: lamb prices edge closer to €10/kg
Prices have increased by another 10c/kg over the last week, with demand for ewes also intensifying.
9 April 2025 Markets
Sheep price update: ICM increases quotes by another 10c/kg
The move sees the plant offering a base price of €9/kg plus 20c/kg QA for hoggets and €9.50/kg plus 20c/kg QA for spring lambs.
7 April 2025 Markets
Sheep Trends: hogget quotes rebound by 20c/kg
Opening prices have increased to €8.80/kg to €8.90/kg for quality assured hoggets, with an increasing number of producers securing upwards of €9/kg.
26 March 2025 Breeding & health
Sheep mart prices: hogget prices rise by €3 to €8 per head
An increase in factory prices and agents having more success in negotiating higher carcase weight limits has inserted much more life into the trade for heavier hoggets.
26 March 2025 Markets