Factory agents are exhibiting greater demand for slaughter-fit sheep ahead of the upcoming Islamic religious festival of Ramadan.

The festival starts on Friday 28 February and runs until Sunday 30 March. The greatest demand is for festivities marking the start and end, but demand will also be boosted marginally at other times.

Factory quotes are steady to 10c/kg higher with all plants now working from an opening quote of €9/kg for quality assured (QA) hoggets.

Regular sellers and groups are receiving returns of €9.10/kg while sellers with greater negotiating power are securing €9.20/kg with some deals at the top end of the market exceeding this rate and rising to €9.30/kg.

Quotes have closed the gap to peak base quotes of €9/kg in mid-January and are running €1.60/kg ahead of the corresponding week in 2024.

This equates to a €37/head price lift on a 23kg carcase.

Last week’s kill of almost 40,000 head was shy of 4,000 head higher than the previous week but remains over 6,600 head lower than the corresponding week in 2024.

The ewe trade remains vibrant with prices of €5/kg to €5.20/kg and mart sales generating returns for quality fleshed ewes from €2.30/kg to €2.80/kg.

Base quotes in Northern Ireland have increased marginally by 5p/kg to the equivalent of €8.51/kg.

The wider differential between Irish and British prices is leaving agents purchasing sheep for export in a stronger position reflected in numbers exported for direct slaughter to Ireland last week, increasing by about 1,000 head to 6,942.

Regular sellers are negotiating 10p/kg to 20p/kg above quotes to close deals.