National sheep slaughter increased by 7.7 percent between January and December 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistical Office.
In the last few weeks, lamb prices have fallen to €1/kg below where they were 12 months ago.
ICSA’s Sean McNamara has advised farmers that now is their chance to crack down and demand higher prices.
“Factories are struggling to get lambs and prices are going up,” he said.
“There are reports that some exports from New Zealand to China are resuming and it is clear that increased imports of New Zealand lamb from the EU and the UK have been a problem in recent months.
“It looks like the worst may be over for now, so now is the time to look for higher prices.”
Cattle slaughtered also increased by 6.7 percent in 2022, while the number of pigs slaughtered fell by 1.5 percent.
Earlier this month, Mark Zieg, manager of Bord Bia’s beef sector, warned supply is likely to fall by 50,000 to 60,000 heads in 2023.
Bord Bia also said breeding hens were not used at the same rate as other years and instead finished earlier in 2022.
“These heifers came through in the second half of last year and we may not see the same number of cows culled in the first half of this year. The tightness will occur in the first half of the year and possibly the last quarter,” said goat
“Lighter carcass weights were observed in all categories, with cattle being slaughtered at a younger age and feed costs incurred [having an effect]. Especially in cows you can see a pretty dramatic drop of 13.7 kg. People benefited from a strong cow price.”
Across Europe, beef consumption is expected to fall by 1 percent in 2023. The dairy and suckler herds are expected to shrink by 0.8 percent and 1.9 percent over the next 12 months. The long-term picture projects that Europe’s cow herd will shrink by 5.5 percent by 2027.
Reduced beef supply in Ireland and across Europe has helped push up beef prices here, with the outlook for the sector remaining positive into the autumn.
Joe Burke, senior manager of meat & livestock at Bord Bia, said at a Teagasc DairyBeef 500 event in Clonmel he doesn’t see an average price decline for 2023.
