Spring lamb trade hits €10/kg as hogget doubts emerge

Some suppliers are reporting deals at a base of 970c/kg at factories where the demand is strongest.

Spring lamb producers are benefiting from a bountiful season with blue skies all over the trade at the factories and the live sales at the marts.

However, rumours of a few clouds appearing in the skies over the hoggets continue to circulate this week, fuelling speculation that some weakening of the trade may be in the offing over the coming days.

The returns to spring lamb producers have now topped €10/kg with the general run of base quotes at 980-1000c/kg plus a bonus of 20c/kg for quality assurance, and some suppliers reported to be securing a few c/kg more for larger numbers.

Spring lambs continue in short supply as a result of the drop in early lambing over recent years on top of the overall decline in the breeding flock.

Hoggets continue to supply by far the greater share of factory requirements, which has sustained the price. In general, the hoggets are being quoted at 940-950c/kg plus the quality bonus of 20c/kg.

Some suppliers are reporting deals at a base of 970c/kg at factories where the demand is strongest.

However, rumours of a possible reduction of the hogget prices before the end of the week circulate, fuelled by the reduction for the hoggets in Northern Ireland this week.

Entries for the live sales at the marts on Monday were light, and full clearances were the order of the day.

There were 300 head on offer at Kilkenny on Monday, where the prices for spring lambs peaked at €268 for a pen of 10 weighing 49kg. 

A lot of 10 weighing 54kg sold for €266, while 10 weighing 47kg made €246 and the hoggets pealed at €226 for 14 weighing 44kg.