Trade tracks weakening UK and French price trend

THERE were signs in the hogget trade this week of a reversal of some of the recent price improvement.

Factories opened trading on Monday with prices similar to last week, but some reduced their quotes on Tuesday by 3 cents/kg (1p/lb) and, in the marts, prices also eased back, with the heavy butchers' hoggets up to €6 per head cheaper.

Factory base quotes on Monday were at 344 cents/kg (123p/lb). On Tuesday only half of the factories were killing, and some of them offered 341 cents/kg, apparently tracking the weakening price trend in Britain over the previous days. At the live sales in Britain, hogget prices were back by €2/head, making the equivalent of €20 over €1/kg.