Avoid market lamb chaos

31 July 1998

Avoid market lamb chaos

A MORE orderly pattern of finished lamb marketing is needed if last seasons price collapse is not to be repeated, says the National Farmers Union of Scotland.

"We must avoid a repeat of last years market weakness, when too many lambs were held over on farm for too long and so got overfat," says union livestock convenor Malcolm Morrison.

The market in the December to March period must not, he says, be "destabilised" by a flood of over-finished animals for which there is no market demand.

Lamb supplies are expected to be slightly higher than in 1997/98 and other meats – particularly pigmeat – are in plentiful supply EU-wide.