Lamb finishers have seen prices hit bumper levels early in the New Year, with prices in excess of 300p/kg being seen at many markets over the past week and Texel crosses regularly among the best sellers.
At United Auctions, Stirling, trade peaked at 343p.kg and £143/head twice for Texels and Texel crosses, with buyers eager to fulfil requirements for both the home and export trade. Other leading prices here included pens at 341p/kg and 339p/kg as well as others at £140/head.
Meanwhile, at the same centre cull ewes were led by Texels at £185/head, with others at £177. It was a similar story further north at Thainstone, where cull ewes sold to £203.50/head, while Texel sired prime lambs sold to £128.50/head twice and 268.8p/kg.
South of the border at Kirkby trade for Texel crosses reached £133.80 and 311p/kg, with ewes peaking at £142, while at Hawes prime Texel cross lambs hit £125/head.
And at Carlisle on Monday Texels lead the trade at £128/head twice, with others at £300p/kg.
Lanark saw a similar trade on the same day, with the top pens of Texel cross lambs at £135/head and others selling to £130. Top call on a p/kg basis here was 286p/kg, with cull ewes selling to £198 and 194/head for the best of the Texels on offer.
Texel Society chief executive John Yates said the demand for Texel crosses remained strong across the UK with both Texel prime lambs and cull ewes being sought out by butchers and wholesalers to fulfil the demands of their customers.
“The breed’s noted high meat to bone ratio and ability to deliver high quantities of lean meat with little carcass waste is well recognised and makes it the breed of choice for both farmers and the meat trade.”
