Lambs have continued their upward trend of late with prices at £1.86/kg for medium-weight lambs in the prime ring. This is a 7p increase on last week, with trade also proving strong. Live sales are not at the levels of early December, but they are up 1,855 head on last week, to a total of 13,259.

Live ewes have also received a price boost and are up £8, to £58 for the week. There are also more numbers coming available, with an extra 645 head through the ring.

This figure should continue to rise as more farmers look to move on barren ewes detected at scanning, given forage supplies may be tight.

Conversely to beef, sheepmeat exports have risen and are now 13% higher than for the same period in 2016. Lower domestic demand for sheepmeat is the underlying force driving the increase in exports. Production has remained more or less the same during this period, with only a 1% reduction on last year, data from DEFRA shows.

This has meant imports have been lower throughout 2017 with those from New Zealand well down on historic levels.