AUSTRALIA-Mutton production falls in February
Tight sheep supplies and strong competition from the live export trade saw Australian mutton production during February plummet 18% year-on-year to 20,958 tonnes cwt (Australian Bureau of Statistics), as a 14% fall in sheep slaughter (to just over 1 million head) was compounded by a 5% decline in average sheep carcase weights (to 20.5kg/head).NSW was the only state to record an increase in mutton production during February – lifting 5% year-on-year to 6,443 tonnes cwt as a 15% rise in sheep slaughter (to 308,000 head) more than offset a 9% fall in average sheep carcase weights (to 20.9kg/head).Higher live export sales out of WA during February, combined with significantly lower sheep numbers on farm, saw mutton production in WA fall 38% year-on-year to, 4,085 tonnes cwt as sheep slaughter fell 36% – the largest year-on-year falls in both mutton production and sheep slaughter in WA since September 2003. Reducing mutton production further was a 3% year-on-year fall in average sheep carcase weights, to 20.5kg/head.