Last week, the factory sheep kill in Ireland saw a significant increase, with over 67,000 sheep processed, including a notable rise in hoggets and ewes. This surge is part of a broader trend over the past four weeks, marked by a notable increase in hogget prices and processing numbers. Compared to the same period in 2022, the total number of sheep slaughtered has grown by 5%, with hogget throughput up by over 24,000 and ewe and ram numbers increasing by over 4,900. This uptick is attributed to higher prices in the sheep trade, contributing to a swell in supply, particularly during the recent four-day week for St. Patrick’s Day.