Processors resist lamb price increases despite tightening supply
Live mart sales strong as factory demand for hoggets continues.
The lamb/hogget prices are largely unchanged at the factories this week, while demand remains firm.
The lamb/hoggets are being quoted at 880-885c/kg, with the bonus for quality assurance to be added at 10-20c/kg, which means little if any change from last week's prices. Suppliers are reporting that the processors remain anxious to get supplies but are not willing to pay more.
The religious celebrations have consistently benefited the producers by boosting market demand in the past. While prices are currently holding well above a year ago, the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan celebrations commencing this weekend is expected to deliver firmer demand and maintain the floor under the trade for the coming weeks.
Available supplies remain tight at the plants, and entries for the live sales at the marts are also tight, with demand steady.
There was a similar-sized sale to last week at Kilkenny Mart on Monday, where there were 460 head on offer for a firm trade at similar prices to the previous week.
Butchers paid up to €167 over for the hoggets. The leading price per head was €227 for a pen of five butchers' hoggets weighing 68kg, while a lot of nineteen weighing 56kg made €223, twenty-five weighing 53kg made €217, and a lot of twenty-three weighing 51kg sold for €209.
The factory-type lots sold for up to €150 over.
