Processors in Australia put through more heavier lambs for a record result

HISTORICALLY high carcase weights, a genetically superior lamb drop and an increase in processing underpins Australia’s record lamb slaughter last year, according to Meat & Livestock Australia. MLA’s markets team said the release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ official livestock and production figures for the final quarter of 2022 last week has delivered a picture of how the red meat and livestock performed in 2022. Lamb slaughter reached a record high in 2022 of 21.45 million lambs processed, the highest volume since the drought-induced liquidation of 2019. This was a rise of 2.9 percent, or 595,400 head. Sheep slaughter in 2022 exceeded MLA’s July release of Sheep Projections by 7.7pc, or 512,500 head, to register 6.63 million sheep processed. This volume was a 15pc, or 864,700 head, lift on 2021 rates. MLA said lamb carcase weights in 2022 were the second highest on record at 24.92kg/head, only lower than 2021 rates. This weight was 9.1pc or 2kg/head higher than the ...