HOWDOYOUMAKETHEBESTOUTOFDEADWEIGHTSALES?
HOWDOYOUMAKETHEBESTOUTOFDEADWEIGHTSALES?
The foot-and-mouth enforced closure of livestock auctions
means deadweight selling is the only marketing option for
prime lamb producers for the foreseeable future.
Jeremy Hunt reports on how to make the best of it
lambs deadweight, seek advice from local auctioneers. Deadweight marketing is a different ball-game to live selling. It is vital to be aware of pitfalls and be able to provide buyers with exactly what they need, to achieve the best possible return."
To obtain a guide on price received, compared with price paid for lambs that would have been sold liveweight, Mr Eaton suggests multiplying target price by killing out percentage.
"That should give a fair comparison with the equivalent liveweight price," he explains.
Skipton Auction Mart handles about 80,000 live lambs a year as well as 25,000 deadweight sales. It owns a wholesale meat company and has been the driving force behind the branded Yorkshire lamb scheme.
"Deadweight selling has a role to play and that is why we introduced the service. But the F&M enforced situation presents farmers with no option but to sell their lambs on the hook.
"And it will be a difficult transition for those who have been staunch supporters of live selling," says Mr Eaton.
He believes that even the inability to go to the local auction mart and talk to other producers will make a difference to the forthcoming summer selling season for lambs.
"Markets are more than just somewhere to sell stock. They are a valuable talking shop, a place where producers meet to discuss their own situation and exchange views and opinions on all sorts of issues.
"All that has a valuable bearing, both directly and indirectly, on how they operate at home. This year they will feel isolated and must not hesitate to seek outside advice about marketing stock to best advantage."
Becoming familiar with lamb carcass dressing specifications of individual abattoirs can be a steep learning curve for many, says Mr Eaton.
"Where a producer is going into deadweight selling blind, having never done it before, if he is doubtful about what lambs weigh and unsure of the spec required, he is in a vulnerable situation."
Lamb trade predictions are for a volatile market this season based on the unpredictability of supply and demand on the home market, the temporary suspension of exports and influence of lost production through F&M.
"I expect large abattoirs will have to commit themselves to early season lamb. That may give producers the chance to get lambs away slightly earlier than normal and hopefully earn a premium," he says.
"A June lamb taken straight off the ewe will kill out in excess of 50% at a respectable weight. It could well be a better option to sell early this season." *
Deadweight Selling
• Increase due to F&M.
• Keep close eye on weights.
• Check kill-returns.
Selling lambs on the hook will be a difficult transition for staunch supporters of live selling, says Jeremy Eaton (inset).