The hogget trade has come under pressure this week, with the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan failing to deliver an anticipated price boost.
Hogget prices have stagnated with some plants looking to reduce prices paid at the higher end of the market, while others have moved to reduce carcase weight limits.
The two Irish Country Meats plants in Camolin and Navan have maintained their base quote at €8.80/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, but have dropped their carcase weight limit by 1kg to 23kg.
Ballon Meats has retained its all-in hogget quote at €9/kg to 23.5kg carcase weight.
Other plants not officially quoting are reported as reducing their opening price in cases by 10c/kg to €8.90/kg for QA hoggets, while reducing their carcase weight limit by 0.5kg to 23.5kg.
Groups and regular sellers are receiving returns of €9.10/kg, but reports indicate negotiating higher has been a more challenging proposition this week.
There are still deals being completed at €9.20/kg, but reports of higher prices are more isolated. Farmers have criticised the pace at which carcase weight limit cuts have been introduced.
Meat industry sources blame an oversupply of excessively heavy hoggets for the reduction in carcase weight limits.
They comment that upwards of 50% of hoggets in the kill are weighing upwards of 24kg with a double hit of being overfat.
These hoggets are said to be not eligible for the Ramadan trade, as there is a preference for lean sheep and carcases within the normal weight range.
Some comment that producers were retaining hoggets for the Ramadan trade expecting a significant price increase and resulting in hoggets feeding into excessive weights.
Numbers coming on stream have increased over the last week. This is evident in last week’s kill being recorded at 44,091 head, over 4,000 head higher than the previous week.
It is the first time in many months that the kill has come close to matching the corresponding week in 2024.
The start of the Ramadan festival in 2024 underpinned two weeks throughput of in excess of 60,000 head, with throughput this year expected to fall well short of it.
The cull ewe trade is solid and in places sharper, with Ballon Meats increasing its quote by 20c/kg to €5.40/kg. The majority of plants continue to open negotiations at €5/kg, with prices for quality ewes and larger batches rising to €5.10/kg to €5.20/kg.
Quotes in Northern Ireland factories are steady to 5p/kg lower at a range of £7/kg to £7.05/kg (€8.45/kg to €8.51/kg). Factories are trying to bring prices paid closer to base quotes, with regular sellers and groups curtailed to 10p/kg to 15p/kg above base quotes.
The number of sheep exported south for direct slaughter in Irish plants remained strong last week, rising marginally by 100 head to 7,378. The live trade has eased slightly.
The hogget trade has come under pressure this week, with the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan failing to deliver an anticipated price boost.
Hogget prices have stagnated with some plants looking to reduce prices paid at the higher end of the market, while others have moved to reduce carcase weight limits.
The two Irish Country Meats plants in Camolin and Navan have maintained their base quote at €8.80/kg plus their 20c/kg quality assurance (QA) payment, but have dropped their carcase weight limit by 1kg to 23kg.
Ballon Meats has retained its all-in hogget quote at €9/kg to 23.5kg carcase weight.
Other plants not officially quoting are reported as reducing their opening price in cases by 10c/kg to €8.90/kg for QA hoggets, while reducing their carcase weight limit by 0.5kg to 23.5kg.
Groups and regular sellers are receiving returns of €9.10/kg, but reports indicate negotiating higher has been a more challenging proposition this week.
There are still deals being completed at €9.20/kg, but reports of higher prices are more isolated. Farmers have criticised the pace at which carcase weight limit cuts have been introduced.
Meat industry sources blame an oversupply of excessively heavy hoggets for the reduction in carcase weight limits.
They comment that upwards of 50% of hoggets in the kill are weighing upwards of 24kg with a double hit of being overfat.
These hoggets are said to be not eligible for the Ramadan trade, as there is a preference for lean sheep and carcases within the normal weight range.
Some comment that producers were retaining hoggets for the Ramadan trade expecting a significant price increase and resulting in hoggets feeding into excessive weights.
Numbers coming on stream have increased over the last week. This is evident in last week’s kill being recorded at 44,091 head, over 4,000 head higher than the previous week.
It is the first time in many months that the kill has come close to matching the corresponding week in 2024.
The start of the Ramadan festival in 2024 underpinned two weeks throughput of in excess of 60,000 head, with throughput this year expected to fall well short of it.
The cull ewe trade is solid and in places sharper, with Ballon Meats increasing its quote by 20c/kg to €5.40/kg. The majority of plants continue to open negotiations at €5/kg, with prices for quality ewes and larger batches rising to €5.10/kg to €5.20/kg.
Quotes in Northern Ireland factories are steady to 5p/kg lower at a range of £7/kg to £7.05/kg (€8.45/kg to €8.51/kg). Factories are trying to bring prices paid closer to base quotes, with regular sellers and groups curtailed to 10p/kg to 15p/kg above base quotes.
The number of sheep exported south for direct slaughter in Irish plants remained strong last week, rising marginally by 100 head to 7,378. The live trade has eased slightly.
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