The hogget trade has had its typical Easter peak and followed the typical seasonal pattern as processors re-stock following the Easter holiday.

The SQQ stood at 205.6 p/kg, one of the highest points lamb prices have reached this year, according to EBLEX. April 4 saw prices rise to 213.1 p/kg, the highest level trade has reached since May 2012 although prices did fall slightly to the end of the week, down to 199.4 p/kg by April 10, levelling off at 205.6 p/kg by the end of the week.

While old season lamb prices were fairly strong, the same couldn’t be said for new season lamb, with prices more than 20 p/kg lower after Easter than what they were before. By the week ending April 10, the SQQ for new season lamb stood at 255.6 p/kg compared to the old season lamb price of 205.6 p/kg.

Cull ewes were slightly back and realised an average of £66.9, down 1.2 on the week while store lambs rose 0.1 p/kg, to level at £53.7 per head.

Aside from Hogget and old season lamb, some new season lamb is on the market however it is slow in coming forward likely due to harsh weather and poor quality feeds hampering progress. Numbers are anticipated to be back by a third compared with 2011 and 40% back on the levels seen in the corresponding period of 2012.