Australia-Sheep numbers on offer double last year in WA.

AUSTRALIA-NUMBER OF LAMBS ON OFFER DOUBLES.

Since the beginning of the year, lamb throughput at WA saleyards has increased 54 per cent year-on-year, according to Meat and Livestock Australia, but sheep numbers were relatively unchanged.

MLA reports that the influx of lambs at physical markets in WA can be attributed to the higher prices offered due to strong competition between processors, live exporters and, to a lesser extent, restockers.

Another factor contributing to the higher supply of lambs is a shift away from sheep and lamb enterprises and towards cropping.

Lambs purchased by restockers in WA since the start of 2009 declined 27 percentage points year-on-year to account for 25pc of the total lamb offering.

Lightweight slaughter lambs made up 24pc of the yarding, while trade lamb numbers doubled to account for 28pc of the offering.

Heavy lamb supply tripled, as improved feed availability in the WA lifted numbers of supplementary fed lambs.

Lambs purchased by live exporters made up 9pc of the total WA offering – up 4 percentage points on last year.