Lower lamb supplies for 2008

Marts: Irish sheep supplies are expected to decline by 4% in 2008, following an anticipated lower carry-over of lambs at the end of 2007 and a lower lamb crop this year.

Total sheep supplies to the export plants in 2007 were down by 7% amounting to 200,000 head fewer than 2006 at 2.94 million head. The supply of lambs was back by 7% at 2.5 million head, due to the lower lamb crop in 2007, arising from a drop in breeding ewe numbers and a lower carry-over of ewes from 2006.

Poor weather conditions had a negative effect on the finishing of lambs during spring 2007, which resulted in supplies for the first half of the year declining by 13%.