Farmers urged to hold back lambs as latest price cuts blasted in Ireland

Farmers finishing lambs have been told to hold out for €7.00/kg, with anything less than this resulting in selling below the cost of production. This is according to the sheep chair of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), Sean McNamara, who has blasted the latest factory cuts for lambs and said it has “gone beyond a joke” at this stage. The ICSA sheep chair told Agriland: “It’s a farce the way prices are. It’s completely unviable finishing lambs at the moment. “The minimum price needed for finishing a lamb is €7.00/kg to cover the costs of production and I’d urge farmers with lambs to hold them back. “It’s got to a point where farmers are currently holding back [animals] from the factory because it’s just gone beyond a joke and they have said enough is enough.” Advertisement Price cuts for lambs “This tactic of factories to continue to lower prices can’t continue and if suppliers hold lambs back, it will force processors to step up and move prices forward,” ...