Lamb price down £12 a head

THE IFA has blamed the £12 a head drop in the price of spring lamb on the importation of chilled lamb from New Zealand into the EU and on the "crazy" exchange rate policies of the Government. Mr Michael Holmes, chairman of the IFA's national sheep committee, said chilled New Zealand lamb imported into Britain had forced meat plants there to place large quantities of lamb on the French market. The price being paid by the French, Ireland's largest customers for sheepmeat, had fallen and was further reduced by the strength of the pound.