Liveweight lamb prices drop back as throughputs rise

The GB liveweight SQQ for old season lambs averaged 261.61p/kg on Monday 16 May, down by 11p/kg on the previous week.

New season lamb prices fell by nearly 6p/kg on the week, to average 355.47p/kg as throughputs rise.

Throughputs are beginning to shift in favour of new season lambs as supply of old season lambs reduces and spring lambs start to come forward in greater numbers.

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Old season lambs averaged 259.8p/kg at Skipton Auction Mart in North Yorkshire on Monday 16 May.

Trade for hoggs was reportedly firmer for old season lambs, with well-fleshed Mules and Mashams selling very well. Lighter commercial lowland lambs were achieving about 270p/kg to 300p/kg.

New season lambs at Skipton averaged 320.8p/kg, slightly down on the previous week as more spring lambs start to come through.

Throughputs

UK clean sheep monthly slaughterings for April totalled 1,019,000 head, marginally below March levels, however still up by 180,000 head (22%) on the same month last year, according to Defra.

Mutton and lamb production during April increased by 4,400t (22%) to total 24,000t. Average carcass weights were 21.1kg/head, up by 100g on the previous month.

Freya Shuttleworth, market analyst at AHDB said: “The main driver for the increase in year-on-year production is due to an increase in slaughter numbers in 2022.

“There were fewer lambs available in 2021 as a result of Brexit, but now that Brexit is done, we can see numbers returning in line with 2019 levels.”

Cull ewes

Cull ewes averaged £111.93/head on 16 May, down by £0.48/head on the previous week.