The beef and lamb trade in Scotland remains robust with strong prices being paid in abattoirs and marts.

Lambs are commanding £2.40-£2.45/kg in marts which puts a 42kg liveweight animal over £100. The beef trade in Scotland is also strong with abattoirs offering £4.15/kg for R grading continental steers which is putting many carcases over the £1,500 mark.

The strong lamb trade is filtering into the store market with prices up 16% on the year. Few marts are selling 35kg lambs for less than £82. Sales have all reported increased prices on the year with Suffolk lambs in Shetland up £6 to £79, and Lairg is up £9 to £68 for wether lambs.

Store lamb buyers will need the current £5/kg deadweight price to be offered in the run up to Christmas for animals at the outlined prices to turn a profit.

Store cattle prices are up 11% on the year for younger cattle and are 8% higher for older ones.

Steers aged under 12 months are averaging £909, while 12- to 18-month steers have been averaging just over £1,000.

Sales at United Auctions and Aberdeen Northern Marts have been between £2.20/kg and £2.40/kg in recent weeks.

Scottish farmers worry about SNP-Green deal

A new deal between between the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party at Holyrood has raised concerns among Scottish farmers.

The arrangement will see two Green politicians appointed as junior ministers in the Scottish Government.

The Greens are the fourth largest party in Holyrood with eight seats, while the SNP has 64 which is just one short of a majority. The new deal aims to create a more stable government with a majority for passing budgets, confidence votes and legislation.

According to National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland, its members have raised “justifiable concerns” about several policies areas which are set out in the agreement between the two parties. This includes regional land use partnerships, species protection and afforestation targets.

Another concern is the reintroduction of species such as Lynx. The previous Rural Minister Fergus Ewing supported the farm lobby by opposing Lynx reintroduction, but the Green Party have been supportive of a reintroduction trial.