Demand for lamb has stepped up another notch as factories buy for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha. The already vibrant market has seen another 15c/kg to 20c/kg added to quotes in the last week.

Farmers trading at entry level to the market are securing returns of €5.60/kg to €5.70/kg, while those in producing groups or with bigger numbers are getting €5.80/kg and higher. Prices are running 70c/kg to 90c/kg ahead of 2019 levels or €14 to €18 higher on a typical 20kg carcase. The strength of demand is reflected in the kill running above 60,000 head for five consecutive weeks with 64,386 sheep processed last week.

Meanwhile, lamb trade is also performing excellently with a significant increase in the number of farmers purchasing lambs.