Only €44 over for best
As spring lamb prices dropped by 34 cents/kg (12p/lb) this week, the news was not much better for the end of season hoggets, for which prices came back by up to 28 cents/kg (10p/lb) at the factories.
In the marts, the trade followed a similar pattern, with the best of the spring lambs making €44 over €1/kg on Monday. There were 1,000 head on offer at Fermoy on Monday, where spring lambs sold at €38 to €44 over, and butchers paid €20 to €33 over for hoggets.
Only a couple of factories quoted for lamb supplies on Tuesday, offering base prices of 442 cents/kg (158p/lb) for the new season supplies and 364 cents/kg (130p/lb) for hoggets.
Meanwhile, spring lamb supplies are increasing.
Lamb prices in Britain are also going through a difficult period, falling by as much as 10% over the past week. The trade in France has also been weakening, with prices falling 10 or 12%, to settle around 410 to 420 cents/kg delivered for the old season stock, with new season lamb slipping back to 500 cents/kg delivered.
