New season lamb sales rise 10p/kg on the week

New season lamb sales are beginning to pick up and stabilise, with trade holding at between 185-195p/kg, an increase of about 10p/kg on the week, according to auctioneers.

Gareth Wall, auctioneer at McCartney’s Kington Market, said while trade will remain about £20 a head down on the 2014 240p/kg averages, it was improving.

“The majority of abattoirs are now switching from hoggetts to spring lambs and fine weather is pushing up the number of lambs coming on to the market,” he said.

“As long as supply holds – which I expect it will given good weather conditions – trade for 37-45kg lambs should remain steady for the next month.”

See also: Keep up to date with the latest livestock sales news from across the country

Last week’s Kington sale saw more than 1,300 prime lambs forward, with lambs averaging £189p/kg and selling up to £195p/kg and £90 a head for mainly Charollais, Texel and Suffolk-cross lambs.

However, Mr Wall said sellers wouldn’t see the same highs as those witnessed in 2014 as the supermarkets had “safeguarded themselves”.

“Last year there were fewer imports and abattoirs had to buy lambs on the open market.

“However, this year they have safeguarded themselves and have imported more lamb from New Zealand. Combined with the effects of the euro and strength of the pound, trade will be down on last year,” he said.

At Darlington Auction Mart last week (4 June), prime lamb prices were also sharper on the week, with most lambs seeing an increase of £4-5 a head.

Top-price lambs and lead-grossing lambs were presented by Whitby farmer JP Floyd, Pasture View.

They reached 219p/kg, grossing at £92. They were purchased by B Anderton, Old Barn.

This week (8 June) at Bakewell Market trade was brisk for new season lamb, with better-end sorts peaking at 240p/kg, with an average of 204.58p/kg, up 10p/kg on last week’s national average.

Auctioneer Peter Oven said the best lambs grossed more than £103 a head, with several pens over £100 a head.

Gisburn Auction Mart also saw prices up by 10p/kg above last week’s trade to average 195p.2/kg or £80.28 a head.

Stephen Horner, Clapham, Lancaster topped the new season lamb section at £93.50 for his 50kg Texel lambs, which sold to Bowood Yorkshire Lamb, Thirsk.

Frome also saw a boost in trade with continental cross lambs regularly selling to 180-194p/kg.

Texel lambs in particular have been selling well, regularly making more than 200p/kg.

At St Boswells on 1 June prices hit a high of 209p/kg for lambs from Loch Side, some 31p/kg above the market average of 188p/kg, while at Lanark on the same day 45kg lambs from T Laird and Son, Sunnyside, Cumnock, led the trade at 45kg a head.

Meanwhile, at Caledonian Marts on 2 June Texels topped the trade at 221p/kg for RA Campbell, Meikle Seggie, on a day where the market average settled at 192p/kg.

Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates said at at time when new season lamb prices were, for many farmers, as much as £30 a head lower than just 12 months ago, producing the type of lamb required by processors was even more important.

“In years like this, when lamb prices are under pressure, it is essential producers pay attention to market signals and produce lambs to the weight and finish buyers are looking for,” he said.