Bord Bia Predict Strong Start to 2025 for Lamb Prices – IFA

IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said market conditions point to a strong start for sheep meat prices in 2025 driven by reducing supplies in all sheep producing countries.

Adrian Gallagher was commenting following the Annual Bord Bia Review and Outlook seminar on Friday last where reduced supplies of lamb across the EU and from NZ and Australia were identified as the key drivers of the trade for the year ahead.

He said supplies of lamb here will be extremely tight particularly early in the year and with Chinese and US imports increasing from NZ and Australia cheaper imports to the EU and UK markets should be diverted to these markets helping drive demand for Irish sheep meat in our well-established markets.

The IFA Sheep Chair said farmers should not be panicked by unfounded negativity from factories on market conditions.

The reality is numbers of suitable sheep for processing on the ground are extremely tight, factories have very lucrative customers to service each week and simply must maintain and build on the prices these markets have become accustomed to paying for sheep meat.

The IFA Sheep Chair said live exports of sheep are playing an important role in maximising competition for farmers with 50,000 exported last year, this trade will continue to have a positive impact in the coming weeks and months providing viable alternatives for farmers to factories. 

Adrian Gallagher said farmers should continue to sell lambs as they become fit, but shop around and strongly reject any unfounded negativity around market conditions from factories and their agents.