Very disappointing early price for spring lamb

LAMB prices have lifted in the UK over the past week, but that trend has still to filter through to Ireland, where the opening factory quotes for the week were less favourable.

New season lamb in the UK strengthened to the equivalent of 466 cents/kg (166p/lb), gaining up to 25p/kg over the previous week. But prices at Irish factories slipped by a further 15 cents/kg (5p/lb) for spring lamb this week, bringing the base price on offer down to 435 cents/kg (155p/lb), which is very disappointing for sheep farmers so early in the season.

The supply of lambs to the factories here is between 42,000 and 43,000 per week.