A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
LAMB
Usual South Island lamb finishers that target their offloads for now are finding little issue acquiring kill space. Backlogs are not featuring anywhere near like they would at this time of the season, indicating there is very little depth to remaining old season numbers. This is surprising given there
was a large hole in the South Island lamb kill between mid May and late-July that hasn't been recovered. While kill rates into September lifted back towards five-year average levels of close to 100,000 head per week it wasn't enough to pressure space. It may indicate why prime lambs have been fetching heady prices in the prime pens in recent weeks as the bulk of these head straight for processing, compensating for less lambs than usual finishing direct off farm. North Island lamb prices mainly held again last week. Most slaughters were tidy up jobs of old season lambs. It's the second week of mouthing inspections, however, there didn't seem to be any major penalties noted. A slow start to spring weather and feed conditions means that new season lambs are likely to be running a couple of weeks behind in condition, delaying their arrival at processing plants.
BEEF
North Island prime prices increased another five cents on average to $6.55/kg last week, taking prices further into all-time record heights. The last peak was $6.30/kg in late-November 2019. Finished numbers seem to be light due to the slow start to spring and for those that have offloaded they reported no trouble getting cattle away for processing. While South Island weather conditions haven't been conducive to finishing cattle, those that have offloaded are reporting no trouble getting cattle away for processing. Overall finished numbers are light as the market traverses this niggly point of the season — waiting in limbo until spring supplies ratchet higher.
DAIRY
