Factory lamb and cull ewe price offers remained firm this week, with most outlets opening the week with the same quotes as last week and no change to lamb carcass-weight limits. Current lamb offers are running about 40c/kg ahead of the same time last year, when higher prices had slipped 10c/kg ahead of the October Bank Holiday weekend.
Factory lamb quotes
Kepak is quoting €7.85/kg plus a 15c/kg Quality Assurance bonus for lambs, leaving €8.00/kg on offer up to 22.5kg carcass weight. Its Athleague, Co. Roscommon site is quoting €4.00/kg for cull ewes again this week.
Irish Country Meats is quoting €7.90/kg plus a 20c/kg Quality Assurance bonus for lambs, leaving €8.10/kg on offer up to 22.5kg. Its Navan, Co. Meath and Camolin, Co. Wexford outlets are quoting €4.30/kg for cull ewes again this week.
Kildare Chilling, Dawn Meats Kildare, is quoting €7.90/kg plus a 20c/kg Quality Assurance bonus for lambs, also leaving €8.10/kg up to 22.5kg. It is quoting €4.50/kg for cull ewes from 35-45kg carcass weight again this week.
Dawn Meats in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, is quoting €7.90/kg plus a 20c/kg Quality Assurance bonus for lambs, leaving €8.10/kg up to 22.5kg. The outlet is quoting €4.50/kg for cull ewes over 35kg again this week.
Higher quoted prices at some sites
O'Flynn Meats in Co. Waterford is quoting €5.00/kg for cull ewes and €8.30/kg for lambs up to 23kg carcass weight this week.
Ballon Meats in Co. Carlow is quoting €8.20/kg for lambs up to 23kg carcass weight this week. The outlet is quoting €4.80/kg for cull ewes again this week.
What the quotes show
Most of the factory lamb quotes listed are based on a base price plus a Quality Assurance bonus, with the bonus bringing several offers to €8.00-€8.10/kg. The carcass-weight limits attached to those offers are mostly 22.5kg, while the two higher lamb quotes at O'Flynn Meats and Ballon Meats apply up to 23kg.
Cull ewe quotes range from €4.00/kg at Kepak's Athleague site to €5.00/kg at O'Flynn Meats. Irish Country Meats' Navan and Camolin outlets are at €4.30/kg, Kildare Chilling and Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis are at €4.50/kg, and Ballon Meats is at €4.80/kg. Some cull ewe quotes carry weight conditions: Kildare Chilling's €4.50/kg applies from 35-45kg carcass weight, while Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis's €4.50/kg applies to ewes over 35kg.
The week's trade therefore shows firm factory quotes at unchanged levels rather than a new price movement. The comparison offered in the trade is against last year: lamb offers are about 40c/kg higher than at the same point, although prices had slipped 10c/kg ahead of the October Bank Holiday weekend last year.