Lamb prices claim is ‘misleading’

RETAILERS have accused the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association of grossly misleading consumers on lamb prices.

The group claimed during a giveaway lamb protest in Dublin on Wednesday that sheep farmers are on average getting between €66 and €76 for a lamb at the factory gates but that the same lamb, once boned, will retail at between €240 and €270.

Retail Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the Irish retail sector, rejected the association’s claims on retail lamb prices as groundless.

Torlach Denihan, director, said it was ridiculous to suggest that retailers are distorting the price of lamb, which is set by the European market.

“Last year, Ireland exported 78% of total lamb output. If retailers here did not pay the going price on the European market it would all be exported.

“The retail market is highly competitive to the benefit of the consumer. There is no evidence that the consumer has paid over the odds as lamb prices in the shops have been static in the five-year period to the end of 2006,” he said.

Mr Denihan said the association is misleading consumers as they compare farm gate prices with the price at the supermarket checkout. This ignores the costs incurred after the lamb has left the farm and before it is bought by the consumer.

These include transport to the factory, deboning, butchering, packaging, storage and selling costs.