Hogget and lamb trade is depressed this week, with May Day bank holiday in France on Friday not helping either sheep or beef trades to France.

With beef, the market wants animals with lots of steak cuts, but no forequarter at present. Rumps are selling well in the range €9.75 to €10.40/kg. In-spec sized loins are also trading well at around €16.50/kg, while heavy loins are more of a struggle, with prices actually falling this week. Last week they were making over €13/kg – this week bids of around €11.50/kg were being received.

As for the forequarter, the market is really struggling. Chucks and LMC cuts are making €5.80 to €6.25/kg where sales can be found, while 95vl manufacturing is trading around €3.75, again where customers are being found.

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Plenty of this and higher-fat content manufacturing beef (70vl) is finding its way to cold stores and stocks. The ongoing difficulties trading with Hong Kong are hampering this category and making it very difficult at present to achieve carcase balance.