Bad weather and delayed lambing expected to hit supply of Easter lamb

HOGGET prices held firm at the factories this week as the light supply of spring lamb increased slowly.

Prices for hoggets are in the 414 to 420 cent/kg (150p-148p/lb) range. There’s up to €57 over €1/kg for the butchers lots at the marts.

More factories now quote for spring lambs, with a fairly uniform base price of 518 cents/kg (185p/lb).

But it looks like new season lamb will be scarce for Easter this year, because of the bad weather in March, and delayed lambing on many farms.

Trade in Britain over the past week improved and prices increased by a few pence/kg to end the week at the equivalent of 437 cents/kg (156p/lb).

In France, prices for Irish lamb are 420 to 430 cent/kg (150p-153p/lb) with stronger supplies of both Lacaune and Spanish lamb affecting demand for Irish and British supplies. Irish exporters are benefiting from reduced supply of lambs in Britain for the French market.

Here, in the marts, hogget prices were back €2 or €3 per head at Kilkenny on Monday where up to €51 over €1/kg was paid for butchers hoggets, making €42 to €51 over €1/kg. Factory lambs made €33 to €37 over.

There was a steady trade at Fermoy Mart.