Many farmers attending Sheep 2025 at Teagasc Athenry were optimistic about the sector, buoyed by a sunny spell ideal for haymaking before Saturday’s event. Farmers voiced hope that factories will reverse recent price pulls and take lamb closer to the €9/kg mark, with some hoping the sector’s prices will have the potential to lift confidence and slow shrinkage in the national flock.

Leitrim’s Oisín McDonald saw this year’s weather as a “massive help for the sheep sector”.

“Last year we had bad weather that kept lambs held back, but this year good weather during lambing season was a big help,” McDonald said. “Some have plenty of silage, but while we got dry weather, it did hit grass growth in some parts. The next month will tell how much silage gets made.”

Sheep prices

McDonald said that historically high sheep prices could help stem the decline in the national flock, adding that he sees any decline that has occurred up to now leaving less room for factories to play tough on lamb prices.

“The national flock is dropping so factories are bound to cop on some time and realise they need to start paying farmers for the quality they produce. While the price has been dropping over the past few weeks, it’s bound to stabilise at the very least.”

James Fenlon from Tuam, Co Galway, has seen good thrive with the weather, which is helping keep lamb growth rates pushing on: “I suppose the costs of fertiliser and meal has eroded part of that. Prices need to be where they are at.

“It is still going to be in decline. Where I am from, there is no one going to start into sheep farming – it is out they are getting or keeping hoggets instead and some are even talking about leasing out.”

Young people

Peter Hastings and Dermot Kerins from the Mayo-Galway border were two farmers more wary of the sheep sector’s outlook, saying that their area is seeing young people taking off-farm jobs rather than return home after college.

“There are 20,000 [fewer] breeding sheep in Galway alone this year – talking to shearers, every farmer they are cutting back. The sheep sector is not in a great place I think. It is declining and cattle is going the other way,” Hastings said.

Kerins pointed to the age profile of sheep farmers as a threat to the sector’s future: “The older you get, the less chance you want to lamb down ewes anyways. There is work with sheep.”

Anthony McCaughey said the outlook is generally “optimistic”, but the “bigger picture” in the form of increased competition in export markets should not be forgotten.