Sheep Council Report July 2025

Market Report 

• Lamb Price: Spring Lambs are making €8.40kg to €8.70kg on weights to 21kg. Cull Ewe prices are ranging from €4.60 to €5.20kg in general.

Supplies: Total throughput to date in 2025 is 1,043,243 head which represents a 16% decrease when compared to the same period in 2024.  Spring lamb throughput is running 22,008 or 10% behind the same period last year. Hogget throughput is running 138,100 head or 16% behind the same period in 2024. Ewe and Ram throughput is running 35,315 head or back -30% from the same period in 2024.

• Market Conditions; Lamb prices have come under slight pressure after a number of weeks of steady prices. UK prices have increased marginally for the most recent week to £7.51p/kg for an R3 lamb. Supplies are projected to remain tight in the coming weeks. Supply constraints are evident in other major lamb-producing areas across Europe and the UK. The EU is projected to have a 9.3% decrease in sheep production in the second half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The mart trade continues to perform well with factory agents and wholesalers competing strongly for the limited supply of finished lamb available.
• Live Export: Live sheep exports for 2025 to date: 14 head. 

Activity since last National Council

1. Review of Bord Bia Origin Green Producer Standard
2. IFA continues to engage with Bord Bia on the Origin Green Producer Standard review. 
3. The next step of the process is to pilot audit farms; committee members will be involved in this process in the coming weeks.
4. The substantive issue in this process for IFA is to have a simplified-on farm audit process.

2. Budget 2026
3. IFA Sheep committee has set out its budget 2026 proposals as follows.;
4. The National Sheep Welfare Scheme must be extended into 2026 and enhanced to deliver €18/ewe bringing total direct supports for ewes to €30/ewe when the €12/ewe SIS payments are included.
5. It is vital for the sector that leakage of these funds to sheep farmers is avoided. Measures, if required, must be practical, existing on farm and include good practices that are supported to provide economic viability for sheep farmers and maximise the productive capacity of the sector.
6. Direct support for the presentation of wool to reduce processing costs and support the value chain for this natural product should also be provided.
7. Hill sheep farming requires additional support recognising the unique challenges faced by these farmers and the critical role farming plays in these areas delivering socio, economic and environmental benefits. 
8. Hill sheep must be provided with an additional €10/ewe bringing direct support to €40/ewe.
9. Dog Control
10. Government must provide appropriate resources and funding to allow an effective operational Dog Warden service in every county, with staffing levels that ensure enforcement of the obligations of dog owners.

3. Sheep Improvement Scheme
4. 18,627 applications have made applied to the scheme accounting for 1.9m ewes.
5. IFA successfully secured an amendment to the Genotyped ram action, allowing farmers to choose an alternative year if unable to secure a 4/5-star ram in the year nominated. 
6. The availability of 4/5 star rams continue to be a concern – 2025 is the last year in which some farmers must carry out this action.
7. IFA has asked DAFM and SI to assess the numbers of 4/5 star and parentage verified rams that scheme participants will require this year.
8. IFA is seeking changes to the retention period in the scheme.
9. Balance payments issued to farmers in May 2025.

4. National Sheep Welfare scheme 2025.
5. IFA secured €22m for a new sheep scheme for 2025.
6. The scheme opened for applications in Q1 2025 with full payment to be made in December 2025.
7. Payment rates will increase by €5/ewe bringing total payments to €13/ewe and total ewe payments to €25/ewe including the sheep improvement scheme.
8. The reference number should be established similar to the 2024 scheme; the higher number of the previous 3 years census returns or 2024 census.
9. The scheme is based on two categories of actions, with actions from category A costed at €4/ewe and category B €5/ewe. Participants will select two actions from category A and one action from category B to receive the full €13 payment.
10. Category A actions are shearing, Body Condition Scoring or clostridial vaccination with the category B actions providing the option to select foot bathing or plunge dipping. 

5. Early-stage support for producer organisations
6. Applications for the Early-stage support for producer organisations closed on May 28th. The next tranche of the scheme is expected to open in September.

6. Dog Control
7. IFA relaunched the ‘No Dogs allowed’ campaign in February. 
8. IFA continues to engage in the dog stakeholder group to advance dog control issues. The next meeting is scheduled for September.
9. Sub groups have been formed and proposals with the aim to strengthen dog legislation are to be brought forward to the Minister in Q4 2025.
10. IFA met with UFU and issued a joint statement between both organisations to deal with dog control in the border regions. IFA and the UFU are calling for co-ordination and co-operation between authorities with a database that fully integrates licensing and microchipping information and clearly identifies the person responsible for each dog.
11. IFA attended the Joint Oireachtas committee on sheep worrying and dog control in July.
12. IFA set out its key priorities to the committee which include;
13. A single National Database for all dogs corelating licensing and microchipping and identifying the person responsible for the dog but at a minimum alignment of the existing licensing and microchipping records to one central access point.
14. Full enforcement of microchipping and licensing obligations of dog owners for all dogs.
15. Stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardaí and clarity of these powers.
16. Increased on the spot fines for failing to comply with the microchipping and licensing requirements.
17. Increased sanctions and on the spot fines for failing to have the dog under control.
18. Significant on the spot fines for dogs found worrying livestock.
19. Legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped and licensed and identified on the NVPS (National Veterinary Prescribing System) prior to any veterinary treatment or prescribing of medicines by veterinary practitioners.
20. Authority to apply the legislative obligations to dogs in border regions owned by persons not resident in the state.
21. IFA has called for owners of dogs found worrying livestock to be prohibited from dog ownership in the future
22. Wool
23. IFA continues to actively engage with the National Wool Council and attended the Wool Council AGM in May.
24. IFA continues to meet with the Wool Council sub-committee on a monthly basis.
25. IFA continues to pursue the inclusion of shearing as an action in the new Sheep Improvement Scheme to offset the huge losses incurred for this farm practise. 
26. It costs approx. €8 to present a 3kg fleece rolled and packed on a farm – costing farmers over €21m annually. Shearing costs must be directly supported to incentivise farmers carrying out this vital health and welfare measure and to ensure wool is presented in optimum condition for future added value use.

• Brucella Ovis test requirement for exported intact male lambs
• IFA has written directly to the Minister for Agriculture calling for a resolution to the Brucella Ovis testing requirements for intact male lambs not going directly to the point of slaughter on export certs.

EU/COPA Developments

• New EU legislation is being developed on the Welfare and traceability of dogs and cats.
• New proposed legislation will focus on licensing, microchipping and animal welfare among other issues relating to the welfare of dogs and cats.
• The AGRI committee’s position now goes to the full European Parliament plenary. Once approved, final negotiations will begin with the Council. If agreed, the legislation could enter into force in the near future.
• IFA attended the COPA working party meeting on sheep meat in March.

Upcoming Issues

• Budget 2026. 
• €30/ewe payment. 
• Ongoing contact with Sheep Ireland. 
• Ongoing ‘No Dogs Allowed Campaign’. 
• Continued participation in the Wool Council. 
• Meetings with lamb processing plants.
• Bord Bia TAC review.