Sheep Council Report October 2020

Market Report

• Lamb Price Update: 05/10/2020. Prices steady. In general QA lambs €5.20/5.30. Producer groups on more. Weights up to 22kg. Ewes €2.60/2.80. Factories more anxious for lambs.  
• Supplies: Wk 39 (21/09/2020 – 27/09/2020). 61,206 sheep were slaughtered at Sheep export premises w/c 21/9/2020 compared to 66,643 in the same week 2019. Sheep slaughtering’s for 2020 are 6.1% up on 2019 at 2,120,732 head.
• Live Trade: Total live exports stood at 23,749 head to the middle of September.
• Select and Sell: In selling, select carefully and avoid over weight and under finished lambs. It is important to move lambs as they become fit to avoid penalties.
• GB Lamb Prices as reported by AHDB: Lamb price for last week was £4.63/kg, which is equivalent to €5.36kg incl. vat.
• IFA publish lamb price updates twice weekly and all of the latest data is available at ifa.ie
• Weekly kill data:

Activity Since last Council

• Met with DAFM on key issues for the sheep sector including, the rollover and enhancement of the sheep welfare scheme, the €30/ewe targeted support scheme, setting up a sheep industry working group, live lamb importation figures from NI, lamb originating outside NI, Market access, trade deals, Brexit, TRQ, Covid-19, dog control, the wool market.
• Met with MII to discuss the base price and the enhancement of the Quality Assurance scheme.
• Met with Teagasc to discuss the economic, environmental and social contributions of the Irish sheep sector.
• Weekly publication of IFA Beef and Sheep Update and update of IFA What’s app groups on a weekly basis.

Upcoming issues

• Continue discussions with DAFM on rollover and enhancement of the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
• Continue lobbying for the €30/ewe targeted support scheme.
• Follow up on meeting with DAFM.
• Organising meeting with Sheep Ireland.
• Follow up meeting with Teagasc.
• Setting up of a Sheep Industry Working Group.
• Ongoing discussion with DAFM on dog control and the wool market.
• Ongoing contact with DAFM, Bord Bia, Sheep Ireland and lamb factories on various sheep issues.

Chairman	Sean Dennehy
Policy Executive	Anna Daly
Senior Policy Executive	Tomas Bourke