Average lamb price in Ireland has seen a 22% increase over a five-year period, according to general manager of Irish Country Meats, James Smyth.

He was speaking at the Teagasc Hill Sheep Conference at the Westport Woods Hotel in Co. Mayo last night (Wednesday, February 18).

Smyth acknowledged that the increase since 2019 was from a low base but peaked in 2025 with an average of €8.11.

He said that the back end of last year into 2026 was "somewhat disappointing".

"It's fair to say that the January prices were a bit less than we even envisaged ourselves.

"We thought demand would be somewhat stronger leading into Ramadan - that hasn't materialised. The next big occasion will be Easter.

"We will see what the price does at that stage," he added.

Market for lamb

Smyth outlined that there are customers in Canada they are working with and they also had the first delivery of sheep meat into the US in 2025.

"That's a good start; now, it'll be small but we'll see how that [US market] goes. There are a lot of challenges in that market," he said.

"From a European perspective, we're right there in all of those premium markets. It is a very expensive protein.

"We had a difficulty in 2025 with the adjustment in the price from consumers and importers - a lot of challenges there. But we've come through it," he added.

Smyth said that the reality is that with beef and sheep meat being so expensive, both have struggled in terms of price in 2025.

"That appears to be the case into 2026. We are seeing a 2-3% reduction in consumption, so it is a challenge.

"In that situation, we have to go to the marketplaces where they have the disposable income to procure lamb and that's where our focus is," he added.