Sheep Producers Australia have welcomed news that the federal government will amend the definition of lamb in Australia’s export legislation, allowing farmers to put more lamb into offshore markets.
Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud announced the change yesterday saying it would bring Australia in line with our main export competitor, New Zealand.
More Reading: Australia adopts NZ’s lamb definition for exports
The change, which sheep industry leaders have campaigned in favour of for nearly 20 years, will enable young sheep to continue to be called lamb when they have one or two permanent incisor teeth, so long as those teeth are new and have not begun to wear.
In March this year Sheep Producers Australia endorsed a change in the industry definition based on a formal, industry wide call for feedback.
The decision was based on the majority of feedback provided during a nine-week public consultation phase in which 83 per cent of respondents to an industry survey supported the change.
SPA president Allan Piggott said at the time, in addition to industry feedback, the board also relied on science and data in endorsing the change to a uniform industry position on lamb definition.
NSW prime lamb producer, Greg Hamilton, who breeds 2500 crossbred lambs a year at Charlesville, Canowindra, said in the space of one or two weeks, when a sheep cuts its incisor teeth, it could mean a major difference in the dollar value.
“If you are finishing those lambs off and you are trying to take your product to the absolute premium, or if there is a drop in the market and you want to hold your lambs back, it could mean the next week or two you have 10 hoggets,” Mr Hamilton said.
“You’ve had the extra expense for the extra fortnight of feed and that kilo of value of $8 to $10 on the other end is completely gone – and only because their teeth have only just fallen out.”
“I sell 500 to 1000 lambs for export every year, and when you are getting borderline lambs going onto hoggets, you start looking at teeth and there’s not much in it.”
Mr Littleproud echoed that the change would mean growers can sell more lambs towards the end of the growing season and expand their lamb export opportunities.
He said the change will require amendment to the Export Control (Meat and Meat Products) Orders 2005, to change the definition of what constitutes lamb.
Research by Meat and Livestock Australia found no discernible difference in eating quality between lambs immediately prior to incisor teeth and immediately afterwards.
The move will also be consistent with new AUS-MEAT definitions.