They say time goes by quicker the older you get and, if so, I must be getting very old as I can't believe we are already passed the longest day. I'm not sure where the time has gone this year and I'm not looking forward to the day's getting shorter!
June can certainly throw up some varied weather patterns and this week has been no exception. I was a Lincolnshire Show last Thursday where it was very warm then headed up to the Royal Highland to be met with pouring rain followed again by hot sunshine.
The current hot spell is a mixed blessing, with many around here flat out haymaking with wet weather forecast again next week, but its not great for livestock.
For all the latest market prices go to our Market Prices Hub
Several markets have cancelled sales this week and the advice is not to travel livestock unless absolutely necessary.
Although new season lamb prices have started to dip from the heady highs of early June
they are still way above this time last year. They averaged 438.1p/kg last week, but with many markets trading above this. Top price in Skipton on Monday was 605p/kg and £272/head, Exeter reported that lambs were £25/head more than the same time last year and likewise at Kirkby Stephen on Tuesday they were 57p/kg up on the same week last year.
Quite what is driving this strong trade, I'm not sure, given it makes lamb the dearest meat to buy in the midst of a cost of living crisis, but long may it continue.
For more show and sales reports go to our Shows and Sales Hub
