Lamb prices advance by up to 20 cent/kg

IT has been another happy week for sheep farmers, as lamb prices significantly improved at the factories.

Quoted prices for the lambs have increased by between 10 cent/kg and 20 cent/kg, with the trade now having more than regained all of the decline of recent weeks.

There is a top price of 475 cent/kg (169p/lb) all-in on offer at Moyvalley Meats, who are the clear leaders in the field this week. Most processors quote 460 cent/kg (164p/lb), plus quality bonus.

The supplies have tightened, and processors are very anxious to acquire lambs, leading to higher prices.

At the marts, there was a much sharper trade for the opening sales on Monday, where butchers paid up to €63 over.

There was a smaller sale at Fermoy Mart on Monday, where butchers paid €99 to €115/head, equivalent to €50 over to €63 over. The factory lambs sold for up to €100/head, or €54 over.

There were 1,120 head on offer at Kilkenny Mart on Monday for a much sharper trade than the previous week. Butchers lambs sold for €50 over to €63 over and factory lambs made €50 over to €60 over.

The trade in Britain continued to improve over the past week, reflecting on-going recovery in demand on the French market. By last weekend, British prices were unchanged, at the equivalent of 452 cent/kg for the lambs.

In France, limited volumes of Irish grade 1 lamb getting to the market were reported to be making up to 460 cent/kg by the weekend, as demand picked up in the run-up to the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival (November 6-9).