Lamb prices continue to face downward pressure, with base quotes for Thursday down 20c/kg to 30c/kg on last week’s levels.

The two Irish Country Meats (ICM) plants in Camolin and Navan are quoting a base of €8.60/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, while Ballon Meats is quoting an all-in price of €8.70/kg.

Reports indicate plants not offering an official quote are working off a similar opening quote of €8.70/kg for QA lambs.

Regular sellers and groups are in cases securing €8.90/kg, with reports indicating it has become very challenging to exceed this price.

Hogget quotes appear to be unchanged, with ICM quoting a base of €7/kg plus 20c/kg QA payment.

Top prices are €7.30/kg and in cases slightly higher for hoggets at the desired carcase weight.

Factories have become much more discerning on price where carcase weight and age are concerned.

Many agents are warning that mature hoggets which have set permanent teeth and hoggets deemed to be excessively overweight will be paid at cull ewe prices.

Last week’s Eid al-Adha festival accounted for lower throughput than anticipated, with the kill failing to hit 50,000 head.

While the kill increased by 10,000 head on the previous week, it remained significantly lower than in 2024 and well below the high point of 70,000-plus head in 2021 to 2023.

The kill of 49,856 head included 16,262 hoggets, 30,340 lambs and 3,246 ewes and rams.

Many farmers were hoping that the festival would deliver a demand boost and help get higher numbers out of the system and be in a better opportunity to sustain prices.

Reports point to this week’s kill falling back again to in the region of 40,000 head.

The cull ewe trade, which was one of the brighter aspects to the trade in 2025, has also been dragged back by pressure on lambs and hoggets.

Quotes have fallen by 50c/kg or upwards of €20 per head on a 40kg carcase in the space of two weeks.

The two ICM plants are quoting a base of €4.50/kg for ewes. There are still plants and abattoirs most active in the ewe trade trading above €5/kg, with Ballon Meats quoting €5.30/kg, back 20c/kg on the week.

Northern Ireland

Factory lamb quotes in Northern Ireland are steady on last week, ranging from a base of £6.90/kg to £7/kg for Thursday.

This equates to €8.13/kg to €8.22/kg at an exchange rate of 84.8p to the euro.

When vat is excluded from Irish quotes, prices in Northern Ireland are running about 20c/kg lower.

Meanwhile, the AHDB reports the average British price jumping last week by 31.5p/kg to average £7.48/kg (€8.82/kg), with demand there boosted to a far greater degree by Eid al-Adha.