Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is urging sheep farmers to sell hoggs at the optimum weight and cleanliness to help maximise producer margin.
With June census figures revealing the current lamb crop is almost 2% larger than last year, according to QMS there is the likelihood of a higher volume of hogs to be marketed this year, which will have the potential to constrain producer prices.
Meanwhile as the lamb crop year advances towards April, there is typically an increase in the proportion of hoggs heavier than 45kg liveweight, and outside the standard quality quotation (SQQ).
“In January heavy hoggs can make up more than 25% of the auction offer, rising to more than 30% of the offer as we reach April, Stuart Ashworth, head of economic services at QMS, said.
“This year the proportion of heavy hoggs is currently higher than for several years. These heavy lambs are heavily discounted on a pence per kilo basis, but they often return the same income, if not margin, per head as hogs in the more desirable retail specification of 40 to 45kg liveweight.”
Ashworth did warn, however, that the volume of heavy lambs and hoggs can act as break on the SQQ.
“In 2015 and 2016, the proportion of heavy hoggs in the auction offer was higher than the five year average and began to exceed 30% in March and April 2015 and 2016 when the SQQ price lost momentum. Presenting hoggs to the market which meet buyer specifications will help to maximise the return farmers can achieve,” Ashworth said.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
