Archive Article: 1997/03/07

7 March 1997

Spring must be here. On Monday, new-season lambs outnumbered hoggets for the first time this year at Exeter, Devon. And with lambs averaging nearly 162p/kg, it marks the highest prices auctioneer Alan Venner (above) has seen at this time of year. Top price a kg and a head were 188.89p and £70 respectively, with a shortage of hoggets underpinning trade. Despite this buoyant start, values are unlikely to rise to the peak reached last year, suggests Mr Venner. Among those consigning stock to the mart was Ashley Gale (left) of Tiverton, whose pen of 34.7kg Dorset lambs made £55.80 a head.