New Zealand-Drive for higher farmer lamb prices.

NEW ZEALAND.

LAMB DRIVE.

The New Zealand Federated Farmers, has launched a campaign to drive lamb prices up to NZ$159 per head within 5 years.

Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre chairman, Bruce Wills, said "The average lamb price received by farmers over the last three years was only $55 per lamb". This has resulted in many sheep farmers leaving the industry of sheep production.

Sheep numbers have dropped 6 million in the last two years, from 40 million IN 2007 to 34 million

Lamb exports are worth $2 billion per year to the nations economy, Mr Wills said "the poor returns for lambs have had a flow on effect in New Zealand’s towns and cities, with the losses of freezing works and the associated jobs". Currently NZ farmers receive less than 20% of the retail price of lambs in the supermarkets.