Lamb prices now ‘in line’

WHILE some of the factories have increased prices for lambs this week, the effect has only brought them in line with the general run in a levelling of the field.

The factories opened on Monday with the base prices ranging 406-409 cents/kg (145p-146p/lb), with the factories at Camolin and Navan topping up their prices by 3 cents/kg (1p/lb) on Tuesday to give a uniform base of 409 cents/kg. In the marts, the trade for the opening sales of the week was unchanged, with up to €46 over €/kg being paid for the butchers’ lambs, and factory lots making up to €45 over.

Average year-to-date prices at the factories have now drawn par with the same period in 2005, at 359 cents/kg, while throughput at the factories is down by 7 per cent. In Britain, the trade commenced strong last week, before weakening through the week with an increase of one-third in the numbers on offer. Consequently, prices at the factories also came back as the week progressed. Irish lamb had a good week on the French market, where Ireland was the main supply of imported product.