Red flag for sheep sector as hogget price falls below beef
Willie Shaw of ICSA said: 'The failure of the shipping trade to get going in the run-up to Eid Al Adha (on June 6) has had a major impact on the trade.
'Hogget numbers in the south and the east have are all but gone and factories are switching over completely to springs.'
Considerable numbers of hoggets remain in the north-west but these too will probably have disappeared in two weeks. And they are making over €1.20/kg less than this time last year, when the market was been driven by the shipping trade.
Back then hoggets were being quoted at €900-9.10/kg plus bonuses, while factory quotes for bullocks and heifers ranged from €5.05-5.10/kg.
'I have never in my lifetime seen the price for hogget fall below what's being offered for beef,' Mr Shaw said – at an all-in price of €8.00/kg, hogget is 10-20c/kg behind what beef farmers can expect for Angus and Hereford cattle at €8.10-8.20/kg.
The ICM quote for spring lamb is only 30-40c/kg behind where the trade was at 12 months ago, while cull ewes are up to €1.50/kg ahead of May 2024.
A factory rep explained: 'You will always have a trade for mutton from Muslim population.
'Mutton does not tend to fall apart like lamb and today we can do more with it.'
IFA sheep chair Adrian Gallagher added: 'Lamb numbers continue to tighten, with factories needing to dig in for supplies.
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'Total throughput is back 17pc to date and no surge of lambs is expected in the coming weeks
'Supplies are not matching market demand in the run-up to Eid al Adha.'
He said factories are offering deals of up to €8.30kg for hoggets and €9.50kg for spring lambs, with cull ewes ranging from €5.50kg to €5.80kg.
On the mart front, Eilish Curley's of Ballinasloe said 'trade for all classes of sheep has fallen by €20-25/hd over the last couple of weeks'. This translated into 44kg spring lambs selling from €170-175hd on Thursday.
Yesterday's sale in New Ross had 650 sheep presented. Hogget numbers were small, with prices down around €30/hd in two weeks.
There was a good trade for lamb, with better Texels at 50.6kg selling to €201/hd.
In Raphoe yesterday 43-50kg lambs made €180-200/hd, with 38-43kgs at €150-180/hd and ewe hoggets at €200-278/hd.
There is good demand for ewes with lambs at foot, especially where the lambs are strong – prices hit €400/family in both Ballinasloe and Baltinglass last week.
Around the marts
Ballinasloe mart
All classes of sheep have fallen by €20-25/hd over the last couple of weeks. On Thursday 44kg spring lambs made €170-175hd, with 47kgs at €180/hd and 40kgs at €156/hd.
Among the hoggets 60kgs made up to €215/hd, with 57kgs selling for €211/hd, although a batch of 61.5kgs made just €170/hd.
Cull ewes were also easier, with the best 100-102kgs selling for €278-292/hd.
On the breeding side second- and third-crop ewes topped at €400/family for those with twins at foot.
Tullamore mart
Trade held steady at Wednesday's sale of 1,300 sheep .
The spring lambs and hoggets included a top call of €212/hd for 63kgs, with 53kgs reaching €200/hd and 47-48kgs making €193-195/hd.
On the cull ewe side, the top call was €306/hd for 121kgs, with 104-108kgs at €282-297/hd. On the feeder side 75-77kgs made €195-226/hd, with 64-70kg selling from €168-192/hd.
New Ross mart
Yesterday's sale had 650 sheep, with hogget numbers continuing to fall; they made €152 to €181/hd for 56kgs.
Lambs were a good trade, with 37-44kgs selling from €144-172/hd and 44-47kgs at €170-192/hd, while better heavier continentals made €194-201/hd.
Heavier cull ewes made €220-330/hd, with feeders selling for €110-200/hd.
Raphoe mart
Numbers reached 500 yesterday, with 43-50kg spring lambs making €180-200/hd and 38-43kgs at 4150-180/hd.
Ewe hoggets made €200-278/hd, while two ewes with four lambs at foot sold for €150/family and two lambs with singles €226/hd. Cull ewes sold for €120-290/hd.
Baltinglass mart
Trade for hogget eased on Saturday but there was a very strong trade for ewes with lambs at foot, especially stronger lambs – they made €150-400/family.
Cull ewes sold from €140-214/hd.
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