Lamb prices up 40c/kg to 810c/kg
Are Factory Can Processors Are Reported They 810c/kg, All For Get And 800 To Keep Quotes To Be Retail Supplied Running The 'hungry' Trade
The buoyancy of the lamb trade over recent weeks is continuing with the factory quotes making further gains this week as demand continues to surpass the available supplies of finished lambs.
Such is the scale of demand at the factories that the processors have increased their quotes by up to 40c/kg, which is an unprecedented jump.
Factory quotes are running 800-810c/kg, and the processors are reported to be 'hungry' for all they can get to keep retail trade supplied.
Suppliers to the factories are reporting that the general run is 840c/kg for the lambs and some deals for larger numbers delivering returns some c/kg above that.
Supplies are tight, putting the processors under real pressure to source sufficient to fill their pre-Christmas orders. While there is general consensus among the factory men that there is only limited supply available to them, regardless of what they quote, the competition for the scarce numbers is more than sufficient to ensure prices have to keep rising.
Producers are having an exceptional end of year for the trade, which is a great benefit to restore confidence for those who have stayed with the sector through the tough times.
Number on offer at the live sales at the marts have also tightened, and full clearances are the order of the day at all centres as butchers and factory agents compete.
The entry at Kilkenny Mart on Monday dropped to 320 head, the lowest for some time, but the trade continued to roar ahead with several lots topping €200/head.
There was a top price of €206 paid for a lot of twenty-one butchers’ lambs weighing 57kg, while a leading price was also paid for a pen of seven weighing 53kg, which made €205.
The factory-type lambs made up to €136 over.
