Very Strong Lamb Prices – IFA
IFA National Sheep Chairman James Murphy said the sheep trade continues to strengthen with hogget prices making €5.70/kg and wholesalers paying €5.80/kg plus.
James Murphy said supplies have become very tight and are not available to the factories at the lower quoted prices.
On spring lambs, James Murphy said numbers are also very tight and prices are ranging from €6.20/kg to €6.80/kg at the factories, wholesalers and marts.
The IFA sheep farmers’ leader said spring lamb suppliers should be very careful to avoid the “free meat trap” on spring lamb with the factories. He said some factories are trying to impose carcase weight limits on spring lamb of 19kgs or 20kgs, while at the same time they are paying full prices up to 24kgs carcase weight for hoggets. He said this is only a blunt instrument to try and get cheap lamb and must be strongly rejected.
