Kind spring helps lambing

Otago's lamb survival rate was high this year.

Many Otago farmers have commented it was the best spring in decades, leading to very good lamb survival rates throughout the region.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand's 2016 Lamb Crop 2016 report showed the ewe lambing percentage in the region increased 2.8 percentage points to 122.9%.

Dry conditions at mating in some parts, particularly coastal and Central Otago and parts of the Clutha district, led to lower scanning results, the report said.

However, a kind spring with favourable weather conditions, generally mild temperatures and adequate moisture contributed to pasture growth rates well above normal. That extended to very good lamb survival. The number of ewes to the ram in Otago dropped 1.6% to 3.11million, compared with 2015, and Southland dropped 1.4% to 2.98million.

Ewe numbers had continued to decline in both regions due to poor sheep profitability and emphasis on beef production.But the total lamb crop increased because of good survival and more lambs born from hoggets compared with the previous year.

Otago's increased 0.7% compared with 2015 to 3.94million head and Southland's increased 2.5% compared with 2015 to 4.3million head. Otago and Southland represented 16% and 14% of the national sheep flock respectively.

In Otago, lambs were marginally heavy compared with the corresponding period last year, albeit only marginally according to farmers.

Some farmers commented on the need for more sunshine to improve lamb thrift, and excessive pasture cover leading to a decline in pasture quality.

A "real balancing act" was in play for farmers over the timing of new season lamb drafts, the report said.

That was between a steadily declining schedule price, which would normally encourage lambs to be processed early, and an abundant feed supply which might encourage farmers to hold stock for longer so as to put on more weight.

An increase in the number of lambs processed early occurred in Otago last year due to the threat of a forecast El Nino weather pattern which often led to a dry summer.

The seasonal outlook for this summer was for more neutral conditions and the need for farmers to send lambs away for processing was not as urgent as previous years.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt said that there had been a 1.3% drop nationally, or 0.3million fewer lambs, than last year.

There would be 19.4million lambs available for export in the 2016-17 season, down an estimated 2.7%.

Lamb export receipts for 2016-17 were estimated at $2.5billion, slightly down on the previous season.