Sheep Council Report November 2025

Market Report 

• Lamb Price: Spring Lambs are making €7.70kg to €8.00kg on weights to 22kg. Cull Ewe prices are ranging from €4.40 to €5.00kg in general.

Supplies: Total throughput to date in 2025 is 1,715,581 head which represents a 20% decrease when compared to the same period in 2024. Spring lamb throughput is running 216,038 or 21% behind the same period last year. Hogget throughput is running 137,700 head or 15% behind the same period in 2024. Ewe and Ram throughput is running 71,317 head or back -30% from the same period in 2024.

• Market Conditions: Lamb prices have come under pressure following a number of weeks of steady prices. Tight supplies of finished lamb continue to underpin the trade while strong competition remains evident across mart sales. Supply levels are expected to remain constrained in line with other major sheep producing countries in the second half of 2025. The Irish ewe flock fell by over 98,000 head on the 2024 sheep census contributing to the current tightness in supply and is projected to remain tight over the coming weeks with steady to firm prices likely to continue into the Christmas period as factories fill orders for the Christmas trade.
• Live Export: Live sheep exports for 2025 to date: 8,007.  

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. Committee members are currently carrying out pilot audits on their farms and will provide feedback on the new process when they conclude.
4. The substantive issue in this process for IFA is to have a simplified-on farm audit process.
5. IFA’s position is clear – Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

2. Budget 2026
3. IFA have secured 22m for the continuation of a National Sheep scheme in budget 2026.
4. The scheme payment rates will be €13/ewe maintaining total payments of €25/ewe including the €12/ewe sheep improvement scheme for 2026.
5. IFA will be engaging with the DAFM in October to ensure the new scheme is practical to implement and reflects the number of ewes on farm and avoids unnecessary leakage of monies or admin bureaucracy for farmers.

3. Sheep Improvement Scheme
4. 18,627 applications have 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. Advanced payments will issue to farmers in November 2025.

4. National Sheep Welfare scheme 2025.
5. IFA secured €22m for a new sheep scheme for 2025.
6. 17,028 farmers applied to the scheme accounting for almost 1.9m ewes.
7. Payment rates increased by €5/ewe bringing total payments to €13/ewe and total ewe payments to €25/ewe including the sheep improvement scheme for 2025.
8. 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.
9. 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. 
10. Actions selected must be completed by 17th October 2025, however applicants who are unable to compete their chosen actions by this date had the option to select the later date of 28th November 2025 when completing their application form on-line.
11. Payments will issue to farmers in December 2025.

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 Q4 2025.
7. Up to €10,000 is available annually for three 3 years with an additional €3,000 available for startup costs.
8. Dog Control
9. IFA relaunched the ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign in February. 
10. IFA continues to engage in the dog stakeholder group to advance dog control issues. The latest meeting convened in September.
11. Subgroups have been formed and proposals with the aim to strengthen dog legislation are to be brought forward to the Minister in Q4 2025.
12. The DAFM has now taken full responsibility for Policy and legislation for the Control of Dogs Act.
13. 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.
14. IFA has called for owners of dogs found worrying livestock to be prohibited from dog ownership in the future
15. IFA set out its key priorities to the committee which include;
16. 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.
17. Full enforcement of microchipping and licensing obligations of dog owners for all dogs.
18. Stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardaí and clarity of these powers.
19. Increased on the spot fines for failing to comply with the microchipping and licensing requirements.
20. Increased sanctions and on the spot fines for failing to have the dog under control.
21. Significant on the spot fines for dogs found worrying livestock.
22. 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.
23. Authority to apply the legislative obligations to dogs in border regions owned by persons not resident in the state.

7. Wool
8. IFA continues to actively engage with the National Wool Council and attended the latest Wool Council meeting in October.
9. IFA continues to meet with the Wool Council sub-committee on a monthly basis.
10. Recent wool auctions are returning strong prices with positive demand from the Chinese market for wool.
11. 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. 
12. 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.

• Factory meetings
• IFA met with the three major sheep processing plants in July and August.
• Engaged with processors highlighting on-going price concerns and viability of the sheep sector.
• IFA highlighted the need for fair pricing to sustain the sector in the long term.

EU/COPA Developments

• IFA attended the COPA working party on sheep meat in October. 
• IFA continues to closely work 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. If agreed, the legislation could enter into force in the near future.

Upcoming Issues

• €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.