A year of lamb prices worth waiting for
Quoted prices are unchanged at most of the plants, and strong demand for lambs enables farmers to negotiate this week for a generous premium before parting with lambs, as processors fill the last of their Christmas orders.
Moyvalley Meats continues to lead the way with an all-in price of 500 cent/kg (178p/lb) on offer, but only marginally ahead of their neighbours Kildare Chilling, when all of the attainable bonus payments are added to Kildare’s base price of 484 cent. The Kepak factories quoted 385 cent/kg plus bonus this week, and other processors offered a base of 480 cent plus bonus.
Reports from around the country indicate that many farmers secured 500 cent for lambs this week.
In the marts, the trade was steady or improved on Monday, with butchers paying up to €79 over for good quality lambs.
There were 650 head on offer at Fermoy Mart on Monday, where a top price of €300 each was paid for the champion pen of lambs weighing 48kg in the annual Christmas sheep fat stock show and sale.
The general run for butchers’ lambs was €105 to €132 per head, or €60 over to €79 over. Factory lambs sold for €45 over to €61 over.
At Kilkenny Mart on Monday, there were 1,150 on offer. Butchers paid €60 over to €67 over, and factory lambs sold for €52 over to €60 over.
The trade in Britain has been driven by reduced supply recently. By last weekend, prices were at the equivalent of 548 cent/kg for lambs. In France, the trade picked up last week, with Irish grade 1 lamb reported to be making 520 to 530 cent/kg by last weekend.
