Up to €9.70/kg is available for spring lambs this week in the sheep trade, while the supply of sheep remains low.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) president Sean McNamara told Agriland that up to €9.70/kg is available for spring lambs this week.
He said that the supply of lambs is currently “tight”, and added that many factories are killing for just “three to four days” each week.
The deadline date to apply for the National Sheep Welfare Scheme is tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21).
Figures provided to Agriland from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have shown that a total of 10,822 applications to the scheme had been received up to Friday, May 17.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national sheep chair Adrian Gallagher said that while there is currently a “poor” number of applications, the scheme offers “practical and valuable support to farmers, enhancing flock management and welfare practices” and that “it is important that all sheep farmers participate in the scheme”.
All applicants to the NSWS must select one action from the list of category A actions and one action from the list of category B actions.
The scheme payment will be per eligible breeding ewe, and payment for full scheme compliance will be €8/ewe (€4/ewe/action completed).
Gallagher has urged all sheep farmers to apply for this support for the sheep sector before the deadline on Tuesday, May 21.
Spring lamb prices
Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €9.30/kg, plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for spring lambs up to 21.5kg, a total of €9.50/kg.
Other outlets are offering €9.35/kg plus a 15c/kg QA bonus up to 20.5kg, a total of €9.50/kg for a spring lamb, while another processor is offering €9.40/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus.
Hoggets
ICM is quoting €9/kg, plus a 20c/kg QA bonus, which is a total of €9.20/kg for a hogget.
Other outlets are paying €8.85/kg plus a 15c QA bonus up to 23.5kg, a total of €9/kg.
Ewe prices
ICM is currently offering €4.20/kg for heavy ewes, while other outlets are offering €4.20/kg plus a 10c QA bonus for a ewe weighing over 30kg, a total of €4.30/kg.
Another processor is offering €4.10 plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for heavy ewes.