Hogget free fall
Hogget free fall
HOGGET prices continue to fall, with Mondays average under 78p/kg.
"Everything seems to be going against it at the moment," says auctioneer Gavin Loynes at Gloucester.
The 42kg to 44kg liveweight band is the one to target, says Mr Loynes. "Under that, and they are not coming to enough money; over it and they dont come to any more."
Phillip Blackman-Howard at Hereford advises farmers to sell sooner, rather than later. Problems with sheep erupting incisors and, therefore, being deemed over a year old for the specified risk material rules can only get worse, he says.
"People will probably sell a few every week and be glad to see the back of them."
Better weather, meanwhile, has meant animals have been clean and dry and the problems with dirty sheep, evident around Christmas, are now a thing of the past. "Its been ideal root grazing weather," says Mr Blackman-Howard.