Lambs Preferred

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31221, 19 November 1966, Page 9

Lambs Preferred

Lower lamb prices this year are having a detrimental effect on hogget values at Addington Market With ample supplies of lambs coming in each week, hogget values have been steadily declining. Hoggets, which were selling for about 60s this week, would have sold for about 70s a head a month ago. Lamb values are much in buyers’ favour and butchers appear to be filling a large proportion of their requirements in the lamb pens. As a result the hogget market is meeting declining competition. This class of sheep, it appears, is in much the

same situation as wethers have been for much of the year.

Lamb is just as cheap as light hogget, so butchers are buying younger meat. Under present conditions hogget cannot compete with lamb, and consequently, large yardings of hoggets are not required. The best of the hogget entry last Tuesday sold from 60s Id to 63s Id, and there were odd sales above this range, but at the corresponding sale last year, the best of the hogget entry sold to 80s Id, and a large proportion of the entry sold at 70s a head and more.