Strong start for sheep market in new year

year for GB as a whole, but was similar in Scotland. Mr Ashworth added: “An equally striking feature of the current sheep-meat market is the particularly firm price of cull ewes. The strength in the cull trade is a reflection of the reduced numbers of cull animals reaching abattoirs,”

Over the period from June to the end of November cull ewe slaughtering across the UK has been some 13 per cent lower than 2013.

The volume of ewes passing through auction markets during December continued to be lower than the previous year so, by historic standards, cull sheep are in tight supply.

This, said Mr Ashworth, may also have helped demand for heavy lambs/hoggs which have been selling well.

“There is, then, some underlying strength in the UK sheep-meat market.

“A contributory element here may well be that although the UK may be well supplied in sheep-meat this is not the case on a wider European stage.

“With the exception of Italy and Romania, all the major sheep-meat producing countries of Europe, and most of the small producers as well, have seen stock numbers slide,” he added. The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart sold 5347 prime hoggs in Longtown on Thursday to a top of £121 per head and 272p per kg to average 199.7p (+7.7p on the week).

There were also 4221 cast sheep forward when heavy ewes sold to £144 for Texels and averaged £95.75 (-£12.92), while light ewes peaked at £104 for Lleyns and levelled at £63.62 (-£7.56). rams sold to £156 for a Suffolk and averaged £90.69 (-£10.52).