Hopes of restoring lamb stability

Marts: After another week of falling lamb prices, intervention by the IFA with the processors has raised producer hopes of restoring stability.

However, prospect for recovery in the prices to factory suppliers is less positive as the lamb trade has come under pressure in Britain and France where demand has eased and prices have fallen over the last week, but on a more positive note lamb prices improved by up to e3/head at Blessington mart yesterday.

Lamb prices at the factories fell by 10-14c/kg (4p-5p/lb) at the factories over the past week to a base of 364c/kg (130p/lb) yesterday with supplies running at 5% higher than last year. After two weeks of decline, the IFA came under pressure to meet with the processors on lamb prices for the second meeting this year.