Up to €95 over for lambs
The Co Kildare based Moyvalley Meats continued this week to lead the field with an all-in price of 620 cents/kg (221p/lb) for spring lambs, and 580 cents/kg (207p/lb) for hoggets.
The neighbouring Kildare Chilling is on 610 cents/kg (218 p/lb) plus quality bonus for new season lambs, and 564 cents/kg (201 p/lb) plus quality bonus for hoggets. Other factories offer 550 cents/kg (196 p/lb) plus bonus for the hoggets. There is more variation between them for spring lambs, ranging from 610 to 620 cents/kg (218p-221p/lb) plus bonus.
In the marts, up to €95 over was paid on Monday for spring lambs. There were 500 head on offer at Fermoy on Monday where butchers paid up to €148 or €90 over, and factory lots sold for up to €71 over. There was an entry of 800 head at Kilkenny on Monday, meeting excellent demand. Spring lambs sold for up to €95 over, butchers’ hoggets ranged from €80 over to €90 over, and factory agents paid €72 over to €86 over for hoggets.
The trade in Britain has remained steady for hoggets due to on-going tight supply. Prices were at the equivalent of 547 cents/kg (195p/lb) including VAT by the weekend. Spring lambs were making up to 655 cents/kg (234 p/lb) by the end of the week.
In France, demand for lamb remained steady over the past week. This, combined with tight supply of Irish and British product, helped improve prices of Irish Grade 1 lamb delivered to Paris by around 10 cent, to 580 cents/kg (200 p/lb). Any Irish spring lamb appearing on the French market was being quoted at 640 cents/kg (228 p/lb).
