Sheep Council Report May 2026

Market Report  

• Lamb Price: Spring Lambs are making €9.60kg to €10.00kg on weights to 23.5kg. Spring lambs are making from €10.10kg to €10.30kg. Cull ewe prices are ranging from €5.40 to €5.80kg in general. 

• Supplies: Total throughput to date in 2026 is 645,908 head which represents a 2% decrease when compared to the same period in 2025.  Spring lamb throughput is running 15,141 head or 71% ahead the same period last year. Hogget throughput is running 46,983 head or 8% behind the same period in 2025. Ewe and ram throughput is running 21,147 head or 42% ahead from the same period in 2025. 

• Market Conditions: Sheep prices have strengthened sharply in recent weeks, with prices reaching record levels on the back of tight supplies and strong market demand. Strong prices in the UK at €9.70kg and France €10.70kg continue to boost domestic Irish prices. Mart sales are trading very positively with prices reaching levels above what factories are offering in a lot of instances. Eurostat production trends have forecasted a sharp decline of sheep production across the EU of up to 17.8% between the second semester of 2025 and 2026. UK sheep production is forecasted to fall approximately 3% in 2026.  

• Live Export: Total live sheep exports 2026: 395.   

Budget 2027 

Direct supports 

• There must be no linear cut to the Sheep Welfare Scheme payments in 2026. Any additional funding required to pay farmers in full for the actions carried out on farms in 2025 must be provided. 

• Targeted payments for sheep farmers must be increased in the National exchequer sheep scheme for 2027. The existing scheme must be continued and enhanced with additional funding and stronger support for farmers lambing ewes. 

• Payments in the scheme must be increased to €23/ewe to bring total direct support to €35/ewe when combined with the SIS, with an additional €10 for hill sheep farmers. There must be increased financial supports for sheep farmers investing in labour saving equipment and infrastructure on farms. 

Dog Control 

• 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. 

Sheep Improvement Scheme 

• There are currently 17,147 farmers participating in the scheme accounting for almost 1.8m ewes. 

• 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.  

• IFA is seeking changes to the retention period in the scheme. 

• Balance payments will issue to farmers in May 2026. 

National Sheep Welfare scheme 2026. 

• IFA secured €22m for a new sheep scheme for 2026. 

• The scheme is now open for applications with the closing date Friday May 15^th. 

• The scheme reference number will be based on the average number of the previous 3 years census returns or the 2025 census – whichever is higher. 

• 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. 

• Category A actions are shearing, Body Condition Scoring or clostridial vaccination/Bluetongue vaccination with the category B actions providing the option to select foot bathing or plunge dipping. 

• IFA engaged directly with the Minister and DAFM officials to demand a reversal of the linear cuts applied to the 2025 scheme, strongly outlining the impact it will impose on sheep farms.  

• IFA will maintain pressure on the Minister to ensure that the linear cuts imposed in 2025 are not applied to the 2026 scheme and that full restoration of payments is delivered. 

Early-stage support for producer organisations 

• Applications for the second tranche of the Early-stage support for producer organisations have opened and will close on May 19^th 2026 

• Up to €10,000 is available annually for three 3 years with an additional €3,000 available for startup costs. 

Dog Control 

• IFA relaunched the ‘No Dogs allowed’ campaign in March.  

• Comhairle na Tuaithe have joined forces with IFA for the first time at the launch to reinforce the responsibility that comes with being a dog owner. 

• IFA continues to engage in the dog stakeholder group to advance dog control issues. The latest meeting convened March. 

• Proposals with the aim to strengthen dog legislation are to be brought forward to the Minister in the coming weeks. 

• The DAFM has now taken full responsibility for Policy and legislation for the control of dogs  

• 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. 

• IFA has called for owners of dogs found worrying livestock to be prohibited from dog ownership in the future 

• IFA set out its key priorities to the committee which include; 

1. A single National Database for all dogs correlating 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. 

2. Full enforcement of microchipping and licensing obligations of dog owners for all dogs. 

3. Stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardaí and clarity of these powers. 

4. Increased on the spot fines for failing to comply with the microchipping and licensing requirements. 

5. Increased sanctions and on the spot fines for failing to have the dog under control. 

6. Significant on the spot fines for dogs found worrying livestock. 

7. 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. 

8. Authority to apply the legislative obligations to dogs in border regions owned by persons not resident in the state. 

  Wool 

• IFA continues to actively engage with the National Wool Council. 

• IFA continues to meet with the Wool Council sub-committee on a monthly basis. 

• Recent wool auctions are returning strong prices with positive demand from the Chinese market for wool. 

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 

• IFA attended the COPA working party on sheep meat in March.  

• IFA continues to work closely with COPA on sheep developments including CAP, animal transport, animal diseases, trade deals. 

• 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.