Meat NZ have recently published their mid-season review following the snow storms that hit the country in the midst of lambing. Evidently this has had a big impact on lamb numbers with a reduced number of slaughter lambs this year.
Sheep numbers have been in decline in recent years as many farmers are converting to dairying, but prior to the storms a small rise of 0.4% had been seen in the sheep flock in the year ending 30th June 2010. Despite this very small incline, dairy conversions and forestry has taken its toll, with export lamb numbers (96% of all NZ lamb) totalling 19.3m in 2010/11, down 1.6m (8.7%) from 2009/10. Despite this fall, higher lamb weights have meant that the volume of lamb has only decreased by 6.9%.
On the plus side for New Zealand sheep farmers, wool export returns are expected to be up 44.7% in 2010/11. And despite the strong New Zealand dollar and higher input costs (3.1%), before tax profits for the average New Zealand sheep and beef farm is forecast to be up 10.8% from 2009/10 to NZ$ 67,600.
For anyone that is interested in hearing more about lamb kill numbers in New Zealand, the export market and what Alliance Group Ltd think the outlook is for worldwide sheep meat supply and demand, check out 'The Pasture Princess' blog next week for a report from the largest abbattoir and meat processing plant in the Southern Hemisphere.
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