Lamb prices at GB auction markets have continued their normal downward trend in the past week, but remain well above levels from 2015, according to the AHDB.
It says in the week ended August 24, the average prices fell by 8p compared to the previous week at 178.1p/kg, leaving prices 34p above the levels from the same week in 2015.
Prices normally fall during the summer months as production rises, it highlights.
However, the AHDB says this year the favourable currency rate has meant that prices have remained above last year’s levels despite throughputs in recent weeks being above the levels from this time last year.
Consistent falls were seen throughout the period, it says with prices on Wednesday, August 24 down by 10p on the week at 173.4p/kg.
Throughputs during the week were 1% lower than the previous week, but remained 11% ahead of the same period in 2015.
The AHDB says bad weather at the beginning of the season led to delayed marketing of lambs, which are now starting to come forward.
It says this is now the fifth consecutive week when throughputs have been above last year’s levels. The number of finished ewes being brought to market has also remained ahead of last year’s levels during the week, up 5%.
Factory Prices
While the liveweight market has been falling in recent weeks the deadweight market has risen, AHDB says. In the week ended August 20, the British deadweight SQQ was up by 9p on the previous week at 426.4p/kg.
It says this left it 91p above the same period from 2015. This is despite a 3% increase in the estimated slaughterings compared to the previous week. However, estimated slaughterings remain 6% lower than the same week in 2015, the AHDB says.