Last week despite complaining that the trade had become difficult at the sales end, factory bosses actually raised their quotes for spring lamb and cull ewes by 5-20c/kg.
This week, however, they drop their quotes for lamb by 10-20c/kg, although cull prices are unchanged.
Adding to farmers’ woes, Kildare Chilling, the last factory on our table to offer an official quote for hogget, cut 20c/kg from their offer for hogget.
Kildare also drop their lamb quote by 20c/kg, to €8.00+10c/kg quality assurance.
Dawn Ballyhaunis slip their quote for lambs back by 10c/kg to €7.90+10c/kg QA, while the two ICMs are down 15c/kg to €7.80+10c/kg QA.
Things north of the border are not much better, with factory quotes there for springs back the equivalent of 29-34c/kg to €7.37-7.43/kg.
But with sterling weakening last week, that price drops to €7.31-7.37/kg, making imports more attractive to the factories.
Data from the Livestock and Meat Commission shows that the number of sheep born in Northern Ireland and slaughtered in the Republic to June 4 was up 22,695 on the same period last year.
So far this year a total of 123,480 sheep born in the north have been bought by southern processors for direct slaughter, compared to 100,785 over the same period in 2021.
ICSA sheep chairman Sean McNamara said sheep farmers will be outraged by this increase in imports.
“We know that this has been a tactic of factories for many years to try to drive down price,” he said.
“But it is really galling to see imports ramped up further this year when farmers are facing a desperate fight for survival in the face of huge cost increases.”
On the prices side, Sean reported cull ewes as selling for €4.00-4.20/kg, with hoggets €7.30-7.40/kg and lambs €8.00-8.10/kg.
He said of the cut in quotes for lambs, “it is only a ploy by factories to make them look good when they have to put them up again in the run-up to the Muslim holy festival of Eid al-Adha on July 9.”
IFA counterpart Kevin Comiskey also referenced the Eid al-Adha festival emphasising the positive effect it traditionally has on the market.
On the broader question of where to get the best price Mr Comiskey again urged farmers to “resist the attempts by factories to reduce prices and consider the mart outlet” where “live export buying is underpinning the trade”.
Around the marts
Baltinglass
Trade here was dominated by farmers buying store lambs to go to grass.
Lambs and hoggets included top prices of €200/hd for 55kgs and €163-165 for 43-45kgs.
The better 35-37kg lamb sold for €127-147/hd, with 32-34kgs making €105-114/hd and 30-31kgs around the €100/hd mark.
There was a strong trade for cast ewes and rams at €78-190/hd. Ewes with lambs at foot settled at €150-225/unit.
Sheep near Woodbrook, Co Roscommon. Photo: Gerry Faughnan
Mountbellew
Trade for well-fleshed ewes was strong, with all other sections holding firm. Those culls included three at 92.5kg that averaged €186/hd, with three at 104kg making €200/hd, while four at 115kg sold for €226/hd.
On the hogget side three at 70.3kg made €165/hd, one at 68kg made €165 while a single at 56kg sold for €162.
The standout price among the lambs was the €170/hd paid for seven averaging 45.3kgs, with nineteen at 41kg selling for €145/hd while five at 48kg made €155/hd.
On the breeding side, a first-crop ewe with twins at foot led the way at €398, while two third-crop ewes with three lambs at foot sold for €206/unit.
Dowra
A bigger sale, which perhaps explains why factory buyers didn’t push on — lamb prices were generally €1-2/hd less.
Thirteen at 47.5kg sold for €176/hd, and eleven at 49.5kg made €178/hd. The better 43-44kg lamb sold for €154.50-160.50/hd.
Among the hoggets a five and an eight at 52.50kg and 58.50kg both sold for €175/hd, while nine at 49kg made €170/hd.
On the breeding side seven ewes with fourteen lambs at foot sold for €220/unit, with two older ewes with four lambs at foot selling for €162/unit.
Enniscorthy
Factory-type lambs formed the bulk of the sale here, with the general run of 42-47kg lambs as making €158-176/hd, while 50kg butcher-type hogget sold to €180/hd.
Kevin Murphy also noted a small increase in the number of stores, at €90-105/hd over the €/kg.
Cull ewes over 80kg sold for €166-214/hd.
Corrin
Yesterday’s sale had 320 sheep on offer. Trade was “steady” with cull ewes once again a major attraction at €84-220/hd, with the general run selling for €156-215/hd.
On the lamb side, 49-51kgs sold for €177-180/hd, with 44-45kgs making €144-158/hd while 42kgs sold to €143/hd.
On the store side 37-38kgs sold for €125-127/hd, with 35kgs making up to €110/hd.
Ennis
At 600 yesterday, numbers here were back from the previous week’s high of 900.
Those reduced numbers attracted more money, with prices up €2-5/hd.
Top call on lamb side saw 53.5kgs making up to €188/hd, with 44kg lambs €160-163/hd, while on the store side 38kgs sold to €139/hd. The small show of hoggets averaged 59kg and €160/hd.
Cull ewes topped out at €195/hd for 107kgs, but the majority made €150-155/hd.
