The cuts applied to lamb prices in NI in recent weeks has seen the trade move back to levels that were common throughout most of 2025.

Base quotes from local factories are at 680p/kg this week, although reports suggest that up to 700p/kg is still available to some suppliers.

With base quotes sitting at 750p/kg as recently as late July, current prices represent a significant slide within the space of a few weeks.

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For a 21kg lamb at 680p/kg, £15 has come off the value of a carcase since late July as it now brings in a maximum price of £142.80. The change from mid-June is much starker. Back then, base quotes peaked at 880p/kg, which represents a £42 cut in the value of a 21kg carcase when compared to 680p/kg this week.

It appears that the lamb trade has gone back to following a seasonal trend of a May/June peak, followed by a summertime slide throughout July.

It was a different picture during 2025, when the prices remained remarkably steady throughout most of the year.

Official price reports from DAERA show that by this time last year, lamb prices had fallen by less than 40p/kg when compared to the early summer peak.

Price outlook

Looking forward, analysis by the Irish Farmers Journal suggests lamb numbers could tighten over the coming months which could help underpin prices for producers in NI.

When local factory throughput and total exports are combined, the number of sheep that have already left NI farms to date is 7% above 2025 levels.

In terms of kill numbers, DAERA figures show that throughput at NI factories is up 13% so far this year, with 238,839 sheep slaughtered up to the start of August.

Over the same time period, the number of sheep moving to the Republic of Ireland (ROI) is down 32%, with 97,936 exported for direct slaughter over the first seven months of 2026.

However, there has been a surge in live exports for direct slaughter in Britain, with the total number more than trebling to 78,814 head.

The number of sheep moving to Britain under store and breeding licences is also up 26% to 90,815 head.

The number of sheep moving to farms in ROI has fell by over 15,000 to 5,194 head and total exports to countries outside Britain and ROI is down by 4,500 to 7,643 head.