Tuesday, 01 December 2015 11:47

Lamb crop at 60-year low

Written by 
Beef + Lamb NZ estimates 23.9 million lambs were tailed this spring – the smallest lamb crop since 1953. Beef + Lamb NZ estimates 23.9 million lambs were tailed this spring – the smallest lamb crop since 1953.

Beef + Lamb NZ estimates 23.9 million lambs were tailed this spring – the smallest lamb crop since 1953.

Lamb export receipts for 2015-16 are estimated at $2.8 billion, down 4.2% on 2014-15.

B+LNZ Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt says the tally reflects three key influences.

"Breeding ewe numbers were down 4.5% on last year, due to carry over effects of dry conditions in past seasons," he says. "Lambing percentages across most of the country were down, as a result of tight feed supplies leading into winter. And fewer hoggets were mated."

In some regions, there was also a slight swing towards increasing beef cattle, at the expense of sheep.

"On the positive side of the ledger, better-than-average climatic conditions during lambing this spring meant lamb survival was good, the exception being isolated weather events in the North Island."

Over the country, there was a 6.7% drop – or 1.7 million fewer lambs than last year; 11.3 million lambs were tailed in the North Island – down 0.7 million on last year but similar to 2013's tally. In the South Island, 12.6 million lambs were tailed – 1 million fewer than last spring, due to decreased ewe numbers, lower lambing percentages and fewer lambing hoggets.

Burtt says the average carcase weight is expected to increase slightly – by 0.9% – to 18.3kg, as a result of lower stocking rates per hectare. "However, this is not sufficient to offset the reduced number of lambs available and we expect total export lamb production to drop by 7.2%."

The lamb crop survey covers 500 commercial sheep and beef farms, which are statistically representative of New Zealand's commercial sheep and beef farms.

More like this

Forestry cuts into stock numbers

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry - particularly for carbon farming.

Red meat's China push

The red meat sector is launching a new campaign to lure Chinese consumers to New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

Boost for hort exports

The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter