This week's sheep trade has seen a powerful uplift in factory sheep prices with as high as €9/kg paid in cases for hoggets.

The first official spring lamb quotes have been tabled this week at €8.80 for Quality Assured (QA) lambs up to 20kg carcass-weight.

In the week ending Sunday, March 8, 40,000 sheep were slaughtered at Irish factories, down 16% or over 7,800 head on the same week last year, according to Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) figures.

Supplies of factory-fit hoggets are running below demand this week and processors are anxious to secure both large and small bookings of hoggets and cull ewes.

Sheep trade: Factory prices

This week, Kepak is quoting €8.35/kg plus a 15c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus for spring lambs, leaving €8.50/kg on offer up to 23kg carcass-weight.

This price offer is up 60c/kg since last Monday.

The Athleague, Co. Roscommon site is quoting €4.50-€4.60/kg for cull ewes, up 10c/kg since last Monday.

Irish Country Meats (ICM) is quoting €8.30/kg plus a 20c/kg QA bonus for lambs, leaving €8.50/kg on offer here up to 23kg carcass-weight.

This price offer is up 50c/kg since last Monday.

The Navan, Co. Meath and Camolin, Co. Wexford-based outlets are quoting €4.50/kg for cull ewes this week - a rise of 20c/kg since last Monday.

Kildare Chilling has no official quote for hoggets this week but farmer-supplier sources have told Agriland the outlet is paying up to €9.00/kg for hoggets.

Kildare Chilling is quoting €4.70/kg plus a 10c/kg QA bonus for cull ewes with carcass weights from 35-43kg, leaving €4.80/kg on offer for these.

For cull ewes from 25-35kg carcass-weight, Kildare Chilling is quoting €4.20 plus a 10c/kg QA bonus, leaving €4.30/kg on offer here.

Ballon Meats in Co. Carlow is quoting €8.50/kg for hoggets this week, a rise of 70c/kg since last Monday.

The outlet is quoting €5.00/kg for cull ewes again this week.