IFA Says Lamb Factories Must Lift Prices

IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman James Murphy said the factories need to immediately increase lamb prices by at least 20c/kg or €5.00 per lamb to restore hope to sheep producers and cover some of the major increase in costs this year. He said lambs are making €4.50 to €4.55/kg to 22kgs with some top prices of €4.60/kg paid this week.

James Murphy said the factories stand accused of holding back on lamb prices and not paying a fair price back to producers based on market returns over the last number of weeks.

The IFA sheep farmers’ leader said prices remain steady in France at the equivalent of €4.50/4.60/kg and prices in the UK, our main competitor on the French market, are the equivalent of €4.60/4.80. He said Irish sheep farmers are being placed at a major disadvantage to their UK and French colleagues because of the failure of the factories to return viable prices.