The spread of lamb and mutton kill in Southland from the producer viewpoint

Abstract

The production of lamb, New Zealand’s major meat export is of a very seasonal nature. This can be attributed to three factors. Firstly, the natural breeding cycle of the Romney ewe confines the period of potential lamb drop. Secondly, New Zealand’s farming systems are based on pasture grazed in situ, and spring lambing, with its resultant feed requirement pattern is closely aligned to the pasture production pattern. Finally, the major export market for New Zealand meat, the United Kingdom, calls for the production of a 30lb lamb. The resultant freezing works’ lamb kill pattern is of a seasonal nature starting in November, the peak months being December and January, with the lamb kill virtually completed by the end of May. This very seasonal nature of meat production in New Zealand has its effect on the sectors of the meat export industry that handle and process the meat once it leaves the farm gate. The benefits of achieving a greater spread of the seasonal kill would fall primarily on the freezing companies, and to a lesser extent on the meat exporters and the transport sector, both livestock and shipping. There are no direct, immediate benefits accruing to the farmer from an increased spread of kill. His benefits are indirect and lagged in the form of a slower rate of increase of killing, shipping and livestock transport charges. The “spread of kill” question will be firstly discussed from the viewpoint of the freezing works, meat exporters and the livestock transport sector, before looking at the problem at the farm level. The aim of this particular study and an outline of the approach taken will then be discussed.