Up to €79 over for good quality hoggets

LAMB prices steadied at the factories this week, as supply matched demand, leaving little room for manoeuvre on price.

There is very little between the quoted prices around the country. They range from an all-in 480 cents/kg (171p/lb) on offer at Moyvalley Meats, Co Kildare, to a base of 470 cents/kg (168p/lb) plus the usual bonus for quality at all of the other processing plants.

Supplies of hoggets remain tight, and sheep farmers are resisting any threat of price reduction, with some processors reported to be paying up to 10 cents/kg (4p/lb) over quoted prices to get supplies.