Strong domestic trade underpins lamb prices
Prices for Tuesday’s kill were similar to last week’s at some factories, back by 3 cents/kg (1p/lb) at others, and occasionally 6 cent/kg (2p/lb) down, in a base price range of 336 and back to 328 cent/kg (120p to 117p/lb), slightly stronger than the opening quotes on Monday last.
Supplies of good quality lambs are not over-plentiful, and neither are the export markets exciting, so processors are not under pressure to get large supplies for the French market. But the domestic trade is holding up well, and taking a considerable volume, which remains a critical foundation for lamb prices.
In the marts, the trend has been for smaller supplies and relatively good demand, at prices improved by up to 4 per head. Throughput at the factories continue to lag behind the corresponding 2002 period.
The trade at Fermoy Mart on Monday was unchanged from last week, with the butchers lambs making 24 to 35 over 1/kg. A lot of 9 at 48 kg made 83 and a lot of 11 weighing 54kg made 86. The factory lambs sold from 17 over to 28.
Numbers on offer at Kilkenny on Monday, at 1,390, were back on last week, and prices were improved by up to 2/head. Up to 33 over was paid for butchers lambs, with factory lambs making up to 26 over, and stores up to 28 over.
Numbers were also smaller at Athenry Mart on Monday, and the trade there was improved by up to 4/head, factory lambs making up to 29 per head and a strong trade also for the store lambs.
