Retail meat prices have increased by between 8 and 28 per cent in Irish supermarkets and shops this week, because so many processors are taking advantage of the shortages in the British retailing sector and selling for export.
Some supermarket chains have reported increases of 8p to 10p a pound for pork and bacon, up to 28p a pound for lamb and around 10p a pound for beef, but, on average, increases across the board are thought to have been around 20 per cent overall.
A Bord Bia spokeswoman said they had not got any statistical evidence, but anecdotal evidence suggested higher prices were being charged by processors. The increases started sometime earlier this week, but there is little hard evidence of how much each butcher or supermarket chains put up prices.
Mr John Smith, chief executive of the Irish Meat Association, said that while prices on the British market went up last week, they had come down this week.
He was unsure about prices being charged by his processors to retail outlets.
Mr Pat Brady, director of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, said poultry prices had increased from the end of January. Lamb prices were next to go up fairly dramatically, reflecting the increased demand for lamb from France.
The last meat to increase in price was beef.