Farmers in no rush to sell despite ‘dream’ sheep prices

Farmers are not in a rush to sell despite record sheep prices the “stuff of dreams”.

Nelius McAuliffe from Castleisland Mart said hogget trade is slow so far this year, with many farmers retaining stock as replacements.

“I expect the price will have a big impact in a few weeks’ time. Farmers had left lambs as stores and after January and February, a lot started feeding,” he said.

“My God, what hoggets are making is serious. There was a bunch last week that made €190/head at 52 kg.”

Research Officer at Teagasc Athenry, Dr Tim Keady, warns that he sees the current decline in sheep numbers continuing. “With hoggets making over €200/hd, everyone wants sheep but no one wants to lamb them,” he said.

Some of the main issues identified by the sheep industry expert are the aging profile in the industry and “traditional mindset”.

“They don’t see many benefits of technology, or change from one breed to another. You need to have a good sheep shed and housing facilities and good handling facilities,” he said.

According to the Department of Agriculture’s weekly sheep kill figures for export plants, slaughtering is running 3pc behind 2023 levels, down by 20pc in the week ending March 24.

Joe Kinsella, from Baltinglass Mart, said hoggets are making well over €200/ hd, but sales have been trending behind, with lambing in full flight and bad weather.

Impact

“I don’t think these good prices will impact the country’s flock number because there are guys, no matter what the price is, that will hold their good hoggets back for breeding,” he said. “We have found, over the last five years, the biggest thing impacting sheep numbers is less and less young farmers in the sector.”

At the latest sheep sale at Carnew Mart, hoggets 52kg upwards sold from €202-€215, down from a high of €220 the previous week. “We’re finding more hoggets are going to the mart than direct for slaughter. There are a good few lads selling their hoggets, which they would have thought about keeping,” mart manager David Quinn said.

INHFA President Vincent Roddy said any sheep going for slaughter now had been picked out at least six to eight weeks ago, so it is unlikely farmers will capitalise on high prices on a whim.

“Even myself, I took out an extra 30 ewe lambs this year that I would have normally kept for hoggets, but I’d still have the 60-70 hoggets. There is that temptation, but time will tell,” he said. “I was selling lambs in 2019 and they were going for €4,30/kg. Today is the stuff of dreams.”