In response to dropping lamb prices, a group of Welsh farmers plan to withhold their prime lambs between August 1-7.
It is believed the plan was conceived at the Royal Welsh Show earlier this month and it is hoped the move will raise public awareness of British farming and highlight the fact that retail prices have not followed the slump in farmgate lamb prices.
A statement on the group’s Twitter feed stated: “With the price of lamb daily, we are trying to get UK sheep farmers to support #NoLambWeek. We hope no one will sell lambs the first week of August. We could block the roads with tractors, but that just annoys the public. Or we could do nothing and complain.
“So why not get together and show the public what the supermarkets are doing to the British farmer?”
Welsh mountain lambs were this week selling at £44 liveweight, a six-year low, while farmers’ share of the retail price has dropped from 60% last June to 50% this year. Latest Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) figures state that Welsh farmers are receiving between £25 and £30 less per lamb than a year ago, due to a strong pound and increased red meat imports.
A spokesman for HCC said: “We understand the frustrations felt by sheep farmers who have seen the price paid for their lambs fall substantially over the last few months. As a result HCC has held talks with the major multiple retailers encouraging them to place greater emphasis on sales of home-grown lamb to secure the long term future of the UK’s supply chain.”
Support for #nolambweek is growing online. Caerphilly butcher Chris Hayman said via Twitter he was “split on #nolambweek”. “The people who will suffer will be butchers, like me, who buy local, and supermarkets will import, but I do agree prices are too low for you guys to earn a crust.”