Lamb supplies will significantly reduced next year

Lamb supplies will be significantly reduced next year

MEDIA RELEASE

7 August 2007

New Zealand lamb supplies for next year will be significantly reduced with the lamb crop expected to be well down. This will mean a much lower kill for next year, according to Meat & Wool New Zealand.

The Stock Number Survey, taken on 1 July 2007, signals that the lamb crop is likely to be down 1.7 million (- 5 per cent) because of the lower number of ewes mated and an expected 2.9 per cent decline in the overall lambing percentage. Lambing percentages in all regions other than the East Coast are expected to be similar to last year, but because of drought, the East Coast lambing percentage will be well back.

This results in the predicted lamb slaughter decreasing 1.5 million (- 5.7 per cent) on the previous year.

Meat & Wool New Zealand Economic Service, Executive Director, Rob Davison says the survey shows there are nearly one million less sheep than a year ago.

Overall sheep numbers dropped 2.4 per cent from the previous year to 39.1 million head. This decrease has been driven by a 9 per cent drop in sheep numbers from the drought-affected East Coast.

“In the worst affected areas of the East Coast, stock numbers were reduced on some farms by up to 50 per cent. Breeding ewes are currently in light condition at the beginning of lambing and in some cases even the light-conditioned in-lamb ewes were sent for slaughter. Over the whole East Coast region breeding ewe numbers were down 3.6 per cent”.

Southland recorded the second largest decrease in ewe numbers (-2.2%). The Southland figure is directly related to the number of Southland farms that have been converted to dairy this spring.

The only region to record increased sheep numbers was Otago – up 1.2 per cent and this is more about the current good feed conditions than a long-term trend, Mr Davison said.

Beef cattle numbers have remained stable at 4.43 million head (-0.2 per cent).

“In all regions beef cattle numbers increased apart from the East Coast where drought forced a 13 per cent decrease. Breeding cows on the East Coast declined 8 per cent with

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ENDS

See... Stock_Number_Survey_2007.pdf

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