Lamb boom relief

WELLINGTON - Sheep farmers still struggling with the rural economic recession have been given a big boost with news that they have achieved a lambing percentage of 114.3 per cent this spring - up 1.3 percentage points on last year and the second highest on record.

The high lambing percentage has offset a small decline in the ewe flock so that the number of lambs born will be fractionally up (0.1 per cent) on the previous year. The record of 116.6 per cent was set in 1997 in exceptionally good weather conditions.

Farmers in all regions are expecting higher lamb prices this season, and although early-season lamb price premiums will fall, farmers expect the fall to be more gradual than last season, senior agricultural economist Rob Davison said.

This spring's better-than-expected lamb crop in most regions reflected the mild winter and settled spring weather across much the country, said Mr Davison, the executive director of the Meat and Wool Economics Service.

An estimated 36.8 million lambs were tailed across the country, fractionally up on last spring.

The number of lambs tailed in the North Island was up 2.3 per cent, with a 10 per cent increase recorded for the East Coast reflecting higher ewe numbers, increased numbers of hoggets producing lambs and a record lambing percentage.

In contrast, lamb numbers were down 7.8 per cent north of Auckland, because of earlier dry conditions and facial eczema problems. - NZPA