Is signing on

IN the past week, 60,000 to 70,000 sheep were herded into pens for sorting, with 50,000-plus destined for the slaughter house.

Later, the farmer sets about the paperwork — paperwork which guarantees the traceability and quality of Irish sheep meat — and a few rough calculations are done out on weights and prices.

“I don’t know Shep,” he says to his faithful companion sitting by the kitchen stove. “I don’t know if we can stay at this job. The money’s not in it.”

Shep looks up out of his big brown eyes and the farmer smiles; he knows they’ ll go again tomorrow. It’s who they are; sheep are what define them, Shep and him.

I wrote this after speaking yesterday with a mart manager who told me of sheep farms he knows where as the guard changes the son or daughter coming on wipes out generations of knowledge and tradition as they dump sheep rearing in favour of dairy.

Modern living is very money-focused, and if you’re starting out in farming you would want some security as regards a wage.

And the possibility of a wage increase for sheep farmers was no further along yesterday morning as quotes from all the factories for lamb remained more or less exactly as they have been since the second week of September.

That means that the best on offer on our price table below continues to be the €4.65+5c/kg QA from Kepak Athleague.

Next up are Kildare Chilling on €4.60+10c/kg QA, followed by the two ICM plants and Dawn Ballyhaunis on €4.50+10c/kg QA. Moyvalley did not quote yesterday.

It’s the same story on the cull ewe side, where Kildare Chilling’s €2.40+10c/kg continues to lead the field. The two ICMs and Kepak quote €2.40/kg, with Dawn on €2.35/kg.

Solid

IFA sheep chairman Sean Dennehy said the lamb trade remains solid with factories paying €4.75 to €4.80/kg, with top prices of €4.854.88/kg paid in recent days.

He said demand remains strong and numbers are expected to tighten as this week progresses.

ICSA’s John Brooks reckoned that €4.80/kg was where the lamb price is at for those outside of producer groups, with anything above this coming as a top-up to those bigger suppliers.

Cull ewes, John said, are generally selling for €2.502.60/kg.

At these prices, will Shep have a job next year?