Australia-Lamb production down in January.

Lamb production down in January

18/03/2009

Australian lamb production during January fell 9% year-on-year, as turnoff rates across NSW, Victoria and WA tightened and average weights declined. Production for January totalled 34,483 tonnes cwt, with lamb slaughter back 6% year-on-year (to 1.7 million head) and average lamb carcase weights declining 3% (to 20.2 kg/head) (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

SA and Tasmania were the only states to record an increase in lamb production for January – supported by the combination of higher slaughter rates and average carcase weights. Lamb production in SA jumped 12% year-on-year, to 7,670 tonnes cwt, with a 4% increase in slaughter and 8% improvement in weights. Tasmanian production lifted 2%, to 748 tonnes cwt, on the back of a 2% increase in slaughter and 1% lift in carcase weights.

Victoria recorded the largest fall in lamb production during January – dropping 16% year-on-year, to 13,800 tonnes cwt, as both slaughter and carcase weights eased 8% year-on-year, to 713,000 head and 19.3kg/head, respectively.

NSW lamb production slipped 9%, to 7,728 tonnes cwt during January due to a 6% fall in slaughter and 4% fall in carcase weights. Lamb production in WA eased 4% during January, to 4,067 tonnes, with a 5% fall in slaughter only partially offset by a 2% increase in average weights, to 20.2kg/head.