Current price cuts are ‘not acceptable' to sheep farmers
The Irish Farmers' Association's (IFA) sheep chair, Adrian Gallagher has said that sheep processing factories have to 'stand a lot stronger' in the marketplace to return higher prices to sheep farmers.
According to Gallagher, the sector lost a 94,000 breeding ewes in the past year, and are now at numbers 'not seen' since 2014.
He claims that throughput in factories dropped by over 370,000 head in 2024 and is currently back over 160,000 on last year.
Gallagher believes this level of decline in sector output has 'serious consequences' for servicing high end customers for sheep meet.
'Factories can and must do more on lamb, hogget and ewe prices, the current cuts are not acceptable and could do serious damage to the long-term viability of the sector, these must be reversed,' Gallagher said.
The IFA sheep chair has said that trade in the UK for old season and new season lamb has improved over the past week (June 2025).
He outlined that prices have risen by almost 7c/Kg for hoggets, and up to 37c/Kg for lambs. The prices in France remain strong, and are 'well over' €10/Kg.
Gallagher said: 'Sheep factories here must start reflecting this reality in prices offered to sheep farmers and reverse the recent cuts they have implemented.
'The sector is a critical stage and its long-term viability and sustainability is very much dependent on the willingness and capacity of factories to maximise returns to farmers.
'Bord Bia also (has) a key role to play in ensuring our product based on the standards implemented on our farms differentiated for customers in the UK and EU markets to push back on the impact cheaper southern hemisphere imports is having in these markets,' Gallagher added.
Sheep prices
This week's (June 9) sheep trade has seen offers for spring lambs fall below €9.00/kg at all the key sheep factories.
Up to 20c/kg has been cut from spring lamb prices, and many of the processors are less interested in hoggets as markets have now moved on to this year's lambs.
Procurement staff have told Agriland that there are 'reasonably good numbers of spring lambs' coming available and these lambs are generally all arriving well finished with good carcasses.
This week, Kepak is quoting €8.65/kg plus a 15c/kg Quality Assurance (QA) bonus for spring lambs, leaving €8.80/kg on offer here up to 21kg carcass weight. This offer is down 20c/kg since last week.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
13-06-2025
- Agriland
Q&A: What to expect from trade mission to Republic of Korea and Japan?
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon is leading a major agri-food government trade mission to the Republic of Korea and Japan, for which Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board – will play a significant role. Joe Moore, manager of the Bord Bia Tokyo office outlined how the board will assist the minister in building trade ties with the South Korean and Japanese markets. What is your role within Bord Bia? I am the manager of the Tokyo office, responsible for the Japanese and South Korean markets. What are the main Irish food and drink exports to your region? Ireland exports meat (beef, pork, and lamb), dairy, seafood, drinks, and also a small amount of consumer foods to both countries. Japan is one of the world's biggest cheese importers, so this is the biggest single export item from Ireland. In South Korea, we are delighted to see beef export growing after receiving access last year. How is the market performing currently? What's impacting it? Export value to both markets in 2024 was €199 million. This was a 7% decline year-on -ear, mainly due to a decrease in dairy exports to Japan. There have been challenges with inflation and a weakened yen, but the long-term trend is growth – exports have nearly doubled over the past decade, which is remarkable. Other sectors are performing well, and in particular Japan remains a key market for our beef suppliers. Wages are increasing, and tourism is booming. These factors should push things forwards. Trade mission to Republic of Korea and Japan The minister and Bord Bia are in Korea and Japan this week. What's the plan for the trip? Bord Bia has organised a series of meetings between Korean and Japanese buyers and Irish exporters. Having a minister at these meetings adds real weight, especially in Japan and South Korea where seniority and official presence are highly valued. We have timed this trade mission to coincide with the start of the Seoul Food trade show in Korea, and again having Minister Heydon present will attract new customers. Minister Heydon will also meet government counterparts to discuss expanding market access. Irish drinks companies are keen to grow in Japan, and Bord Bia is hosting a networking event with local distributors to support this. We're also launching Asia's first Chefs' Irish Beef Club chapter—an invite-only group of top chefs who champion Irish beef. As a marketing tool it has proven successful in Europe and the UAE, and we've chosen three high-profile Japanese chefs to join the club. Joe Moore (second from left) with Korean beef buyers on John Purcell's farm last summer. Source: Bord Bia What role does sustainability and Quality Assurance play in marketing Irish meat and dairy in your region? The Republic of Korea and Japan are markets that operate on high quality. The customer has extremely high standards and being able to present our grassfed production system, backed up by Quality Assurance, is an excellent platform. For a long time the key message within sustainability that has resonated in these markets has been sustainability of supply. As import dependent markets, and being risk averse, they prefer suppliers that can build long-term relationships and provide year-on-year. More recently we are having conversations about environmental sustainability with the bigger blue chip customers. Again having Origin Green as a platform to speak to Ireland's sustainability credentials is a key differentiator for us. How do consumer preferences and trends in your region influence the demand for Irish meat and dairy? The food culture and local consumption habits can complement our other markets nicely. For example, in Korea they love braised/stewed dishes and use a lot of short rib. And of course in Japan they love grilled beef tongue, which makes it a very valuable market for tongue. Then for dairy, Japanese people tend to enjoy the lighter flavour of processed cheese rather than anything too mature. But the manufacturers need a high quality, functional cheese to produce this processed cheese, so this provides a great opportunity for the Irish processors who meet this need. How do you collaborate with local distributors, retailers, and foodservice providers to increase Irish market presence? Our efforts are focused on business development at a trade level. A key activity are buyer visits to Ireland –bringing customers to Ireland to let them see first-hand our family farms, our factories, and our produce. I brought a group of Korean beef buyers back home in July last year. One of them is now an established customer, and we'll be meeting them during the trade mission with Minister Heydon.
Irish Post
12-06-2025
- Irish Post
Three Japanese chefs inducted into Bord Bia's Irish Beef Club
THREE Japanese chefs have been inducted into Bord Bia's Chef's Irish Beef Club. The Irish food board was in Tokyo this week, where it established the first Asian branch of the Club, which promotes the use of Irish beef across the globe. Currently there are thriving branches of the club in operation across Europe and the Middle East. Now Bord Bia has extended its reach to Japan, welcoming three renowned Japanese chefs as its inaugural members in Asia. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, Chef Yuji Hayashi, Chef Yuki Inoue, Chef Kenzo Nishizawa and Bord Bia CEO Jim O'Toole pictured at the launch Yuji Hayashi, of The Momentum by Porsche, Yuki Inoue of Ristorante La Bisboccia, and Kenzo Nishizawa, of Trattoria Da Kenzo, were formally inducted into the international club at The Momentum by Porsche restaurant in Tokyo. The official launch took place as part of the Irish government's trade mission to Japan led by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon. 'Irish beef is growing in strength in Japan and launching the Chefs' Irish Beef Club here in Tokyo is testament to how well premium Irish beef is received on the global stage,' Minister Heydon said. 'The voluntary endorsement of Irish beef by three prestigious Japanese chefs underscores the exceptional quality of meat from Ireland,' he added. Chef Yuji Hayashi, who has worked as the Executive Chef at Momentum, the world's first Porsche-approved restaurant in Tokyo, for the last four years, said his appointment to the Chefs' Irish Beef Club (CIBC) was 'an honour'. 'I'm delighted to host Ireland's Minister of Agriculture today, and serve him and the group some beautiful Irish beef here in Tokyo,' he added. 'When I visited Ireland I realised how good the animal welfare was, it was amazing to see cattle living a stress-free life on the greenest grass.' Bord Bia CEO Jim O'Toole said taste profiles are changing in Japan and that Irish grass fed beef is now highly desired by Japanese consumers. 'Historically, Japanese consumers have a preference for grain fed beef over grass fed, due to the reputation of their own grain-fed Wagyu beef, but Bord Bia's market insights show that this is changing,' he said. 'There is increasing evidence that Japanese consumers enjoy the taste, flavour and smell of Irish grass fed beef,' he added. 'The fact that some of Japan's most prestigious chefs are now cooking with Irish beef is a strong endorsement of the quality and reputation of Irish beef from farm to fork, and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the promotion of Irish beef in Japan. See More: Bord Bia, Chefs Irish Beef Club, Japan, Tokyo
Agriland
12-06-2025
- Agriland
Certified Irish Angus confirms appointment of new directors
Certified Irish Angus has today (Thursday, June 12) announced three new appointments to its board of directors. The new board members include agricultural industry advocate Padraig Young, food marketing specialist Nicola Martin, and Liz Moynihan an education, development and leadership expert. Certified Irish Angus has been promoting excellence in Angus beef production for over 25 years, and is to the fore of adopting cutting-edge technologies to future-proof sustainable beef production. The producer group said that the three new appointees 'combine a variety of insights, experiences and skills in addition to their general director responsibilities'. Padraig Young Padraig Young began farming when he finished school, and successfully grew his dairy and beef enterprise over time. Padraig was elected to the board of Lakeland Dairies early in his career and held a position on the board from 1990-2001. He was re-elected in 2006, serving until 2014. He became chair of Lakeland Dairies in 2008 and remained in that role until 2014. During his tenure as chair, Padraig was also a board member at the Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS). Currently, Padraig is a board member of the Cavan County Enterprise Fund based at the Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre. Nicola Martin Nicola Martin is a senior marketing professional with over a decade of experience across international and domestic markets, spanning the sustainability, food, and premium drinks industries. She began her career in Australia with CitySmart, Brisbane's sustainability agency, before returning to Ireland in 2016 to join Bord Bia. Over eight years at Bord Bia, Nicola was responsible for marketing the Origin Green sustainability programme. Nicola is currently global marketing manager for Glendalough Distillery at Mark Anthony Brands International, where she leads brand strategy and global marketing efforts for the award-winning Irish spirits company. Liz Moynihan Liz Moynihan is an educator with 20 years of teaching experience in science at second-level during which time she has held the positions of deputy principal and principal. Liz has successfully led educational communities, fostering academic excellence and positive school cultures. She is dedicated to continuous professional development, and has recently achieved certifications in coaching, mediation, and systemic coaching. Liz has developed and delivered impactful workshops on self-awareness and leadership and has collaborated with key educational development services. Certified Irish Angus Charles Smith, Managing director of Certified Irish Angus said thanked Padraig, Nicola and Liz for their enthusiasm and commitment in joining the board. 'For over 25 years, Certified Irish Angus has carved a position as a leader in the Irish beef industry, and we have great ambitions for the future. 'Across our three pillars – sustainable production, superior quality, and education and development – we aim to protect the native Angus breed, to further enhance production efficiencies and to educate and inspire the next generation of farmers and custodians of Irish Angus beef. 'Through our partnerships, dedicated staff and board members we are in no doubt that we can deliver on this vision,' he said. Certified Irish Angus is Ireland's largest producer group with 12,000 active members made up of small family farms.
