Gradual recovery in lamb prices
The top base price of 420 cents/kg (150p/lb) was on offer at Kildare Chilling on Monday, before it was eased back to 414 cents/kg on Tuesday.
The rest of the factories quoting this week were uniformly offering a base price of 414 cents/kg (148p/lb), improved from last weeks level of 406 cent/kg, following negotiations between processors and farmer representatives during the second half of the week.
What is on offer is still well below the previously agreed deal which followed protests at the factories by farmers - a base of 475 cents/kg. But processors felt from the start that could not be sustained at current market returns.
There is plenty of competition for Irish lamb on the French market, which is well supplied with Lacaune and domestic supplies as well as Irish, UK, Spanish and New Zealand supplies.
The best of the Irish lamb is making 440 cents/kg in Paris. Back home, prices in the marts were improved by up to €8/head on Monday.
There was a very big sale at Fermoy on Monday where, in a steady trade, the butchers lambs ranged €34 to 46 over €1/kg, while the factories paid €32 to €38 over.
At Kilkenny, there were more than 1,100 head on offer, with butchers lamb prices improving by €8/head and factory lambs up by €5/head. The butchers lambs made €36 to 45 over, and the factory lots sold at €36 to €40 over €1/kg.
