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More lamb from the land down under

Improved weather conditions in Australia last year are expected to have long lasting impacts on global sheep and lamb markets.

Angus Gidley-Baird of Rabobank says after several years of dry Australian weather, rains came in 2020 and producers have started to grow their flocks.

“2020 had a much-improved season so it meant people were holding onto sheep and not actually sending them to slaughter any more, so we saw the lowest sheep slaughter number for 2020 that we’ve seen in well over 45 years,” he says.

He says lamb slaughter in 2020 was also the lowest in 15 years, again signaling producers are expanding.

“Unfortunately for you guys in the U.S., it probably means you’re going to start to see more Australian lamb come back on the shelves over the next couple of years,” he says.

Gidley-Baird told attendees of the recent American Sheep Industry’s virtual annual meeting at least a four percent increase in lamb exports in 2021 is likely.