Hope of Belgian demand boost

FEWER factories quoted for lambs when they re-opened on Tuesday, but those interested in buying were offering prices unchanged from the close of trading last week-end.

Processors offer a base price of 336 cents/kg (120p/lb), which is similar to the closing days of last week.

In the UK, trading has stabilised, following a fall in the supply of lambs.

In the Irish marts, the trade has been steady for the butcher’s lambs this week, but factory lots are a more difficult trade, and prices are back on previous weeks.

Bord Bia has embarked on another round of promotions for Irish lamb in Europe, and sheep farmers will be hopeful of some positive response. The promotion was launched at the Carrefour Supermarket in Brussels last week, and is being extended to 20 of the super stores in the group, running over three weeks.

Later, Bord Bia will extend the promotion to the Delhaize Supermarket Group in Belguim.

The supermarket group is reported to be very impressed by the quality of the Irish lamb and looking forward to an increase in sales as a result of the in-store introduction to customers over the coming weeks.

In the UK, there was a slight improvement in the price towards the end of last week, as the supply declined, and in France, the market remains quiet and well supplied for the level of demand.

Here, in the marts, butchers lambs made €18 to 30 over €1/kg at Fermoy on Monday, while the factory lots sold at €6 to €20 over.