Irish Sheepmeat Prices – w/e October 15th 2023
Quotes: Base quotes for lambs from the major processors have held steady this week with 600-610c/kg (plus QA bonus) available. Market demand for lamb continues to be subdued in key export markets with inflation, higher levels of imports from non-EU markets and competition from other proteins continuing to impact the sector.
Prices: The reported deadweight price improved late last month and have remained steady to be €6.17/kg last week. In the same week in 2022 the reported price was €6.11/kg. Deadweight prices Great Britain increased by 8c/kg to €6.44/kg last week while prices in Northern Ireland increased by 1c/kg to €6.00/kg.
Southern Hemisphere prices remain well below European prices with an average heavy lamb price in Australia and New Zealand last week of €2.91/kg and €3.99/kg, respectively.
Throughput: Last week’s lamb kill to total 49,633 head. This takes spring lamb throughput for the year to date to 1,006,224 head. This is a decline of approx. 77,00 head from the same period in 2022. Some of this decline can be attributed to a reduction in the number of early lambing flocks and lower litter sizes early in the lambing season this year. However, the indications are that significantly higher numbers of lambs remained on Irish farms this summer due to the challenging production conditions impacting lamb thrive.
After a strong start to the year the ewe kill in DAFM approved plants has also been operating at lower levels in recent weeks with cull sheep throughput for the year to date totalling 259,040 head, 13% lower than 2022 levels.
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