Up to €6.40/kg is on the table for lambs at the moment, as prices push on again this week, according to the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
The sheep chair of the ICSA, Sean McNamara, said that lamb prices are “well up this week, with tight supplies of finished lambs forcing factories’ hands into lifting prices for lambs”.
Speaking to Agriland about the lift in lamb prices this week, Sean said: “Prices have once again pushed on this week, with tight supplies aiding this.
“Factories are paying up to €6.30-6.40/kg for lambs at the start of this week. I’d be urging farmers to sell hard and not take any lowball offers from factories.
“Demand is strong and factories are very hungry for supplies – so the ball is very much in the farmer’s court.
“The mart trade is also performing strongly. There’s a good demand for those heavy lambs and the trade for factory lambs has picked up over the last week or so in line with increasing factory prices.
“On top of that, there’s strong farmer interest in nice ewe lambs and also for stores.
“The only disappointing aspect of the trade you could take is that of the hogget ewes. Good-quality hoggets are holding their own and are trading well but the plainer hoggets have been a tough sell throughout the breeding sale season.
“In cases, ewe lambs have been making more than some hogget ewes; however, the trade as a whole is quite positive and it’s great to see prices for lambs moving up once again,” Sean concluded by saying.