Spring lambs have seen a jump in price of up to €6/head at marts this past week, with prices up as much as €10/head in cases on the previous week.
Supplies of spring lambs remain small at marts and this is injecting more life into the trade, as hogget supplies continue to dwindle.
Despite hogget supplies dwindling, prices have remained solid and so has appetite.
Looking at the trade in more detail, starting with spring lambs, it’s hard to put exact figures on lamb prices, because due to tight supplies of spring lambs, there is less room for factory agents to be picky.
Add in further competition around the ring, it means factory agents are battling for what they can, resulting in lambs possessing any level of decent flesh cover being snapped up.
However, to shed some light on the trade, a large proportion of lambs weighing 44-50kg are moving at prices well in excess of €160/head and making up to €172-175/head.
Lambs greater than 50kg, especially quality lots, have hit the €180/head mark this past week, with prices falling back anywhere from €172-175/head.
Lambs in the 40-43kg weight bracket have generally been moving at prices ranging from €150-160/head and in cases more.
Lambs weighing less than 40kg are in very short supply, but for the ones presented at marts, prices for these lots have also seen a rise in price, with quality 37-39kg lots selling above €140/head and close to €150/head.
Hoggets, as mentioned, with some processing plants increasing base prices this week, have been met with a very firm trade.
Numbers continue to remain small and quality also variable, however, the majority of hoggets on offer at marts have been moving at prices of €150-180/head, with the weights of these hoggets anywhere from 47-70kg.