The new year thus far has seen no change in lamb prices, with factories holding quotes that were seen just before the start of 2023.
Base prices at the start of this week remain around €6.30-6.40/kg, with lamb prices topping €6.40-6.60/kg in general.
This is a substantial difference to what was seen this time last year – the beginning of 2022 – when base quotes were standing at €6.90-7.10/kg.
This is a difference of 70c/kg in the space of 12 months and this gap could widen further, going by what procurement staff in factories have told Agriland this week.
Lamb prices 2023 – marts
For the marts that have already kickstarted their sales for 2023, managers pointed to a steady trade, similar to what was seen before sales finished for the Christmas period.
The majority of heavy lambs continue to sell in excess of €140/head, with the top sellers making in excess of €150/head up to €153-155/head.
Lambs in the 45-48kg bracket have been trading from €126-135/head and hitting as high as €140/head.
Forward stores are selling generally at or above €100/head and up to highs of €122-124/head.