There is a substantial gap between lamb price this year and lamb price at the same time period last year.
This is mostly due to the lack of any sustained movement forward in lamb prices over the last few months.
This time last year, although quotes for lambs were hard to come by, prices were on the rise. What base prices were on the table were well ahead of what they are today.
And come the middle of the month last year, base prices had moved north of €7.00/kg, which is a considerable difference to the same period this year.
Although prices lifted 5-10c/kg recently, they soon after came back to the €6.00/kg mark, where they currently sit at present.
Base quotes at this time last year were roughly €6.60/kg, which is a 60c/kg difference when compared with now. And, as mentioned, by the start of the following week last year they were just shy of €7.00/kg.
Meanwhile, this year, absolute top prices are between €6.20-6.40/kg.
Furthermore, deals to 22.5kg were being secured last year, whereas now, some factories still holding tight to 21.5kg.
The one similarity in lamb price between this year and last year, at this point, is ewe price. This is much the same.