Sheep throughput in factories continues to lag well behind previous year’s levels with reduced throughput up to the week ending 5 July exceeding the 200,000 head mark. This follows on from a fall of 375,000 head in 2024 and reflects a sharp decline in ewe numbers.

Last week’s sheep kill was recorded just shy of 40,000 head, equating to a reduction of 8,455 head on the corresponding week in 2024.

Despite the lower numbers, factories continue to insert downward pressure on lamb prices with prices for Thursday pulled anywhere from 10c/kg to 40c/kg compared to last week.

Opening prices for quality assured lambs are in the region of €8.20/kg to €8.30/kg with top price pulled back to €8.40/kg. This equates to a cut of 20c/kg to 40c/kg on the week or from €4 to €8 per head on average.