Prices hold at €4.80-4.85/kg

ONCE again there was no movement on the price of either lambs or cull ewes this week.

All that can be said is that the little improvement that was there last week did stick as Kepak Athleague continued to quote a base of €4.65/kg plus 5c/kg for Quality Assurance (Q A), with Moyvalley on €4.65/ kg for lamb.

These factories are followed, as they were last week, by Kildare Chilling on €4.60+10c/ kg, with the two ICM plants and Dawn Ballyhaunis all on €4.50+10c/kg.

It’s a similar story with the cull ewe, with Kepak and the two ICMs continuing on €2.40/kg, while Dawn also remains unchanged at €2.35/ kg. Kildare Chilling did not offer an official quote for cull ewes yesterday.

John Brooks of ICSA and Sean Dennehy of the IFA agree that €4.80/kg is freely available for lamb, with Mr Dennehy claiming €4.85-4.88/kg was paid in recent days. Cull ewes are reported as changing hands at €2.60-2.80/kg.

Mr Dennehy pointed out that the recent spell of excellent weather and extra grass growth had helped in no small way to underpin the store trade.

He also said the IFA met the meat factories last week demanding a strong price increase, a 30c/kg bonus for Quality Assured lambs and the elimination of charges on clipping, scrapie and SRM on ewes.

John Brooks also noted the current strong mart trade for stores.

He added that with some store lambs making €80-90/ hd those prices were now underpinning the factory and butcher trade at the moment.