PRIME old season lamb values dipped slightly this week but with reduced supplies throughout the length and breadth of the country, the hope is they will recover soon after Easter.

All centres have enjoyed a flying trade over the past month on the run up to Easter, when most consumers traditionally look to buy lamb, but the trade in Scotland on Monday slipped just short of 8p per kg on the week to 222.3p per live kg. The overall average on Tuesday faired better at 231p, however, this value was still down 9p on the previous seven days.

South of the Border, old season lambs cashed in at 239p on Monday, which represents a fall of 6.1p, with Tuesday's sale prices levelling at 230p, down 7.2p.

This compares to last week's sales at Aberdeen and Northern Marts, Thainstone Centre, and C and D Auction Mart's Longtown market, which witnessed their best ever sales for the year.

"We averaged 244p per kg for 6500, which is the highest this year and for more sold," said Colin Slessor, Aberdeen and Northern Mart's head sheep auctioneer.

"We're also well ahead of numbers compared to last year as more people have been bringing their lambs forward when the trade has been so good, so there is a good possibility numbers will be short and prices will hold up for the remainder of the season.

"I have seen the trade drop after Easter, but at the same time, I've also seen it hold up well when numbers are short."

Cast ewes have also been a flyer at Thainstone, with big Suffolk and Texel ewes selling for anything from £140-£170 per head, which coupled with the improved prime lamb trade, all bodes well for the store lamb sales in the back-end.

"A lot of finishers will have done really well with their lambs and especially when many of them were bought a lot cheaper than in previous years. Blackface lambs from the west could be bought for £30-£40 per head last September and when you think that a good number have been selling for more than £100 per head over the past couple of weeks, that's a huge mark up," said Mr Slessor.

New sheep auctioneer at Longtown, Bruce Walton has also witnessed the marked improvement in lamb and ewe prices, with last week's sale again producing the highest average to date with 4300 head balancing out at 238.6p.

"The trade is there because there is a shortage of numbers with many producers having sold their lambs three weeks to a month earlier than normal when the market was good," said Mr Walton.

"We're also seeing a lot more lambs going abroad as the exchange rate is more favourable compared to what it was this time last year. There might be a blip after Easter, but I can't see the trade falling away completely because the lambs are just not there," he said.

* On another positive note, prime beef cattle prices improved across the board this week – the first time this year – again due to a shortage in the numbers coming forward.

Latest figures from AHDB show the Scottish steer average rose 3.7p per deadweight kg to level at 368.8p for a 3.2% reduction on the week, while heifers improved by 1.4p to 370.9p, again for 1.9% fewer forward. Cows and young bulls were also up on the week, albeit for more sold with the former levelling at 342.6p, representing a rise of 8.3p for a massive 56.6% more while bulls improved by 8.5p to 284.4p with an extra 1.2%.

Prices in England and Wales also headed north, with the overall steer and heifer average rising 0.3p and 1.0p, with both lots averaging 355.2p. Young bulls and cows were also up at 334.7p and 253.4p, which represents a rise of 7.6p and 0.9p, respectively.