Influx of heavier lambs applying price pressure at UK auction marts
Prices for heavier lambs have been coming under pressure, with a high number coming forward at auction marts in the Easter period.
Alex Black
But lighter weight hoggs and lambs were in demand, with Livestock Auctioneers Association executive secretary Chris Dodds saying there was always a good trade for ‘those perfect weight lambs’ at Easter time.
He said: “Trade has been quite good. It has just slacked off a little bit as the Easter buying period has now happened.”
Sedgemoor market auctioneer Paul Ashton said: “The weather has been so good, everything has been kept too long. There are too many heavy ones about.”
He said at Monday’s (April 15) sales, more than half of the entries would have been classified as ‘heavies’.
Mr Ashton added: “It is just what buyers do not want at the moment.”
He added there was a very strong trade for lambs and it was positive for those with the stock the market demanded.
“All the buyers are moaning they cannot sell the heavies. Vendors are saying the grass has been so good and the weather has been so good. They have finished quite cheaply I think, so there is a bonus on that side.”
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Skipton auctioneer Ted Ogden said at a recent sale, about 65 per cent of the entry were more than 45kg.
“It is putting big price pressure on those heavy sheep,” he said, adding it was a pattern across the country.
“Everywhere you look, every market has big numbers of heavy sheep.”
But he said the season had generally been good and throughputs were up, with more hoggs sold than last year.
Dry weather
Mr Ogden added they could now do with a ‘touch more grass’ and some rain as the weather had been very dry.
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