NZ Lamb numbers up, despite a challenging year for farmers
Despite tough droughts and meat processing restrictions as a result of Covid-19, farmers have achieved a near record number of lambs this season.
For every 100 ewes, an average of 130 lambs were born compared with an average of 124 over the prior 10 years, Beef and Lamb New Zealand says.
Its Lamb Crop Outlook report for 2020, which forecasts the next year’s exports, showed the total number of lambs born this year was only slightly less than in spring 2019 when 131 lambs were born for every 100 ewes.
The data is drawn from a statistically representative sample of more than 500 commercial sheep and beef farmers.
“Despite the challenges of 2020 including drought and Covid-19, sheep farmers demonstrated why they are the world’s best, their resilience and the agility of their farming systems has meant they’ve performed outstandingly and this should be a real point of pride for our sector,” Beef and Lamb chief executive Sam McIvor said
by Bonnie Flaws
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