Up to €107 for butchers’ lambs
The processors opened the week offering base prices ranging from 344 to 340 cents/kg (123p or 122p/lb). There was better interest from processors Tuesday, with very little change in the prices being offered, at 345 to 340 cents/kg.
In the marts, the trade was somewhat variable, with some butchers paying up to €53 over for good quality lambs.
There was a larger entry at Corrin (Fermoy) Mart on Monday, where the 666 head on offer met with a strong trade. Up to €107 per head was paid for the butchers lambs, for which the prices ranged back to €76 per head, the range being equivalent to €25 over to 53 over.
The factory lambs sold for €36 to €77 per head, or €15 to 31 over.
A large entry of 1,500 head at Kilkenny Mart on Monday met with a steady trade. Butchers paid €25 to 34 over, and the factory lots sold for €22 to 25 over.
Supplies tightened in Britain over the past week, after prices eased back a little. With the further weakening of sterling, British lamb is going on to the French market at very competitive prices.
However, supplies in France are reported to have tightened. Unfortunately, weaker demand has cancelled out any prospective price benefit for Irish lamb, making 370 to 380 cents per kg delivered to Paris.
