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New Zealand Sheep and Beef

Released 01 Sep 2011

MAF Pastoral Monitoring for Sheep and Beef

Some key points:

  • Improved prices for lamb, other sheep, beef and wool lifted net cash income 27 percent in 2010/11.
  • Lambing fell 10 percentage points following drought in many areas in autumn 2010, a cold wet winter and a severe spring storm. Very good conditions in autumn 2011 increased carcass weights on finishing stock which contributed to the lift in prices.
  • Net cash income is predicted to increase a further $51 200 (11 percent) in 2011/12 mainly as a result of an expected 10 percentage point increase in lambing.
  • Farmers have budgeted conservatively for 2011/12 expecting stock prices to be similar to the averages in 2010/11.
  • Farm working expenses have increased 9 percent in 2010/11 and are predicted to increase a further 9 percent in 2011/12.
  • Most of the increases are on productive inputs with the largest increase being on fertiliser in both years.
  • While farmers are pleased with the return to good profits they are aware that their industry has not changed fundamentally and that prices and profits could fall as quickly as they rose.

For more information please click here to go to the Ministry's website.

2011 MAF Pastoral Monitoring for Sheep and Beef (957kB)
 

Beef+Lamb NZ Reports

Total sheep numbers at 30 June 2011, estimated at 31.9 million, were down 2.1 percent on the previous year. This decrease flows from the tough spring of 2010 along with high prices for sheep, allowing a deeper culling of poor performing sheep than in recent years. Breeding ewe numbers were down 2.5 per cent.

The number of lambs tailed in the spring of 2011 was up 7.0 per cent on the previous spring (+1.72 million) to 26.51 million head. Even then, this will be the second smallest lamb crop in at least 55 years. A return to normal weather conditions during peak lambing (despite a brief snow event in mid August) was the main reason for this increase in lamb numbers compared with the previous year.

Beef cattle numbers at 30 June 2011, at 3.94 million, were almost static (-0.2%) on the previous June. Within this, good prices encouraged culling of dry and poor performing beef breeding cows so that their numbers decreased 3.4 per cent.

For more information please click here to go to Beef+Lamb NZ website.

2010-2011 New Season Outlook for beef and lamb (1.2MB)
Lamb Crop for 2011 (643kB)
 

Greenhouse gas footprints

Compared to 1990, New Zealand sheep farms now produce slightly more lamb meat by weight, but from a 43% smaller national flock. Researchers estimate this productivity improvement has reduced the carbon footprint of New Zealand lamb by more than 20% over that period.  You can read more by downloading an AgResearch study below).  This was funded by the Meat Industry Association, Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Landcorp and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s greenhouse gas footprinting strategy.  Key information support was provided by Beef+Lamb NZ.

The greenhouse gas footprint of exported NZ Lamb (March 2010) (591kB)
 

Get Ahead and get into sheep and beef farming

Are you up for a career in agriculture?  Click here to find out how you can Get Ahead with sheep and beef.

For more information from Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre, please click here.