Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Read our privacy policy here for more details.
Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Factories Must Stop the Price Cuts and Stabilise Lamb Prices – IFA

IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman John Lynskey has called on the lamb factories to stop the price cuts and stabilise the lamb market. He said the severe price cuts of the last two weeks are inflicting acute income damage on the sheep sector. He added that sheep farmers are angry that the factories moved so hard and so quickly with price cuts of 40c-50c/kg in the last week.

The IFA Sheep Chairman said he met with his UK and French counterparts in Brussels yesterday on the difficulties in the lamb market. He said, “We will be working closely with both the NFU and the French FNO to try and bring some stability to the lamb price situation. It is critically important that the market is not being undermined with cheap lamb”.

IFA has also been in contact with MII and is arranging a meeting with the lamb factories this week. John Lynskey called on the factories to stop the price cuts and stabilise the market. He said some of the messages from some factories and agents to farmers over the last week have been extremely unhelpful and only contributed to destabilising the market.

The IFA Sheep Chairman said farmers were resisting the price pressure but needed to move lambs as they become fit. He said despite lower quotes, some factories were paying €5.00/kg today, with the general run at €4.70 to €4.80/kg.

With Bord Bia reporting French price returns for Grade 1 Irish lamb at up to €5.36/kg incl vat today, John Lynskey said it is clear the factories are jumping ahead of the market and could have avoided going below €5.00/kg. He said with the strong sterling exchange rate, Irish factories have a big advantage on UK suppliers going into Europe and because of the exchange rate their prices are still up at the equivalent of close to €5.00/kg.

John Lynskey called for increased retail promotions on the domestic market. He said this was important to shift volumes at this time of increased supplies. He added the Ramadan market response was disappointing and hopefully there be a better response at the end of Ramadan in mid-July. “Sheep farmers are very dependent on lamb price for their incomes and many producers selling lambs to date have incurred high costs with meal feeding. He said it is of vital importance that lamb prices are stabilised and maintained at viable levels to maintain confidence in the sector.”

Related Articles