Australia-Lamb season looks good.

AUSTRALIA-RAINS HAVE GIVEN HOPE TO SHEEP FARMERS.

Most prime lamb businesses in the South East of SA and western Victoria should easily be able to lift their lamb turn-off by 100 kilograms per hectare, according to respected sheep industry researcher Colin Earl.

Latest figures show Australia’s prime lamb industry is lagging behind other ag commodities for productivity gains, and Dr Earl hopes to deliver more dollars on-farm by offering his 30-plus years of research and production experience in both government and private practice.

"Every property is so different. You can’t work out why a property is failing to achieve its targets unless you see it, and therefore the (current) group system is not working."

Dr Earl is critical that livestock producers are underachieving quite markedly and, despite research trials, conducted 20 years ago, showing 400 kilograms of lamb per hectare was possible in the Naracoorte area of SA, he says few producers have met these targets.

He says these productivity gains are as simple as using multiple lamb bearing genetics, plus a finely tuned management system with the optimal lambing time, pasture management and ewe nutrition.

He says, however, the results will not come from the current group-based extension programs, run by peak industry groups and government, but rather from a one-on-one consultancy.

"There is a lot of money being spent with no real increase in productivity," he said.

"Lamb production has lifted with the switch from wool to meat but the efficiency and production per hectare has not moved."