Sheep prices hold steady but factories tighten grip
For the most part, the base for the lamb/hoggets remains unchanged at 880c/kg, plus the usual bonus for quality adding 10-20c/kg. File photo: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
There is slightly more uncertainty about the direction of the trade at the factories this week on price, while demand remains stable overall.
Some producers are finding it harder to get quotes forward for supplies for the later days of the week, and there is a general feeling of a hardening by the factories on the price movement, all of which is creating an air of more uncertainty among producers.
For the most part, the base for the lamb/hoggets remains unchanged at 880c/kg, plus the usual bonus for quality adding 10-20c/kg.
Suppliers are reporting that there appears to be more pressure from the factories this week to hold their cost of supplies at a maximum of 900c/kg, and while deals are reported to have been secured at up to 910c/kg, fewer at this level are available for this week.
Some of the factories are complaining about the percentage of overweight supplies they are getting, and there are rumblings of a tightening of the cut-off weights on the offing to counteract this trend.
While current prices are strong by traditional returns, the Islamic religious festival Ramadan, which runs to the end of this month, has usually been relied upon to give a boost to the trade, but 2025 is so far not delivering.
The trade was generally unchanged at the live sales at the marts for the early days of this week.
The entry of 450 head at Kilkenny on Monday was similar to the previous week. So too was the leading price of €227 for a pen of five butchers’ lambs weighing 65kg.
A lot of 19 weighing 57kg sold for €223, while 15 weighing 52kg made €217, and 23 weighing 61kg sold for €209. The factory-type lots made up to €150 over.
