Lamb producers angry over slump

Marts: Although lamb prices at the factories are unchanged from the closing days of last week, there are no indications of any recovery in the collapse of prices to producers which the trade experienced during the latter half of last week.

The drop of 69 cents/kg - from an agreed base price of 475 cents/kg secured through the farmer protest at the factories to 406 cents/kg now being offered to suppliers - has drawn angry reaction from farmers who are accusing the processors of pulling the plug on the deal and failing to deliver market returns to producers.

The prices on offer to producers this week have fallen well over 35 cents/kg below those which sparked the protest by farmers at the factories three weeks ago.

There was a slight rise in the number of factories quoting for lambs yesterday with uniform prices similar to the opening of the week’s trade on Monday, a base price of 406 cents/kg with a bonus of up to 6 cents/kg for U grade.

As the IFA convened a meeting at Carlow last night, another is scheduled for Roscommon tonight, to discuss the issue, Meat Industry Ireland said meetings between processors and suppliers took place at the weekend.

Cormac Healy said Meat Industry Ireland has also sought a meeting with IFA leaders. He called for a better understanding of what is happening in the market because “misinformation only fuels mistrust” underlining that returns must also cover the large drop in skin prices.

The ICSA has called for a meat forum “to facilitate co-operation between farmers and processors”.