Sheep trade: Spring lamb price in Ireland lowers by up to 10c/kg

The sheep trade this week saw cuts of up to 10c/kg for spring lambs as supplies from Northern Ireland return after last week. Sean McNamara, sheep chair of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) said “there’ll be a lot [of spring lambs] coming down from the north after last week”. He said that “next week could be a tight supply” for spring lambs. The most recent figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine show that in the week ending Sunday, July 9, a total of 43,500 spring lambs was processed, down 37% from the 68,900 spring lambs processed in the same week last year. Advertisement Commenting on the current price trends in the sheep trade, McNamara said: “A heavier lamb is worth a lot more at the mart than in the factory.” Sheep trade – hoggets Kildare Chilling is offering the same price for a hogget ewe as it is for a cull ewe this week, which is €2.90/kg plus a 10c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus to 40kg, a total of €3.00/kg. Other outlets ...