Lamb season still affected by drought

The number of lambs available for export in the current season is estimated at 19.95 million head, compared to 20.3 million head last season. Photo / File

The 2012-13 drought continues to have an impact on sheep and beef farming, with Beef and Lamb New Zealand's latest lamb crop survey indicating only a modest improvement in numbers tailed this spring.

At an estimated 25.8 million lambs, the figure was up 1.2 per cent on the previous spring, which was the second smallest lamb crop in nearly 60 years.

Beef and Lamb Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt said this season's crop showed the effects of the drought that hit most of the North Island and parts of the South Island in 2012-13.

"The drought meant there was less feed available in the lead-up to mating and ewes were consequently lighter than optimal weights when the ram went out," he said in a commentary.

"However, this season spring weather was better than average, which helped lamb survival, and the average lambing percentage across the country was a respectable 124 per cent," he said.

The number of lambs born to hoggets was up significantly - 7.7 per cent - to 1.2 million.
In the North Island, numbers were up 5.5 per cent in the North Island, when compared to the drought-affected lamb crop of 2013, which was the smallest for the island since records began.

In the South Island, lamb numbers fell by 2.6 per cent to 13.4 million - as a result of fewer fewer breeding ewes, due to land use changes to dairy and dairy support activities, particularly in Southland.

Ewe lambing percentages were up across all regions, with a 7.1 percentage point lift on the East Coast -- which represents about a quarter of New Zealand's lamb flock - to 123.7 per cent.

Across the country, fewer lambs are expected to be processed during 2014-15, compared to 2013-14, Beef and Lamb said.

The number of lambs available for export in the current season is estimated at 19.95 million head, compared to 20.3 million head last season - a drop of 1.9 per cent.

Burtt said farmers are holding on to lambs to rebuild sheep numbers, particularly in the North Island. The average carcase weight this seasons expected to increase slightly - by 0.7 per cent - to 18.4kg, as a result of slightly lower stocking rates and expected "normal" conditions.