Strong butcher lamb trade
Prices are also improved in the marts this week, with a strong butcher trade pushing prices to €40 over €1/kg and, on the continent, there is a slightly stronger trade in France, where supplies from Ireland were lower over the past week, following the August Holiday week-end.
Trade for lambs at the factories opened on Monday with a general base line price range of 350 and back to 342 cents/kg (125p-122p/lb), and prices for Tuesday were improved by a further 3 to 5 cents/kg (1p-2p/lb), to range from 353 to 347 cents/kg (126p-123p/lb).
In Britain, the trade remained relatively steady for the second consecutive week, with prices running at the equivalent of 381 cents/kg (136p/lb), and supplies to the market slightly higher than the previous week.
In France, prices for Irish lamb were steady at 340 to 345 cents/kg (121p to 123p/lb), with demand slightly stronger and supplies from Ireland slightly lower after the bank holiday.
There was a steady supply from the UK, and the best trade for lamb continued to be in the holiday regions of the country.
There was a large sale of 1,200 head at Fermoy Mart on Monday, where the butchers lambs sold at €23 to €40 over, and the factory lambs made €16 to €29 over.
Numbers on offer at Athenry were also bigger this week, with prices ranging from €20 to €32 over €1/kg, and very strong prices being paid by farmers for ewe lambs.
With 1,630 head on offer at Kilkenny Mart, prices for the butchers lambs were improved by up to €2/head at €30 to €38 over €1/kg, and factory lambs made €22 to €32 over.
