Dairy expansion and drought have carved into lamb numbers born this spring, prompting predictions of a $450 million drop in export earnings for the meat industry. M&WNZ in a media release has said 4.7 mil fewer lambs were born this year, and with farmers intending to keep more ewe lambs to rebuild breeding flocks, this may mean 6.1 mill fewer lambs will be killed for export. The latest figures come as Silver Fern Farms, reports confidence returning to overseas markets after three weeks of uncertainty, adding to good news in Ballance Agri-Nutrients' announcement of a 17% drop in the urea fertiliser price to $910 a tonne. Further cuts are expected. M&W economist Rob Davison said export lamb numbers would drop by 23%. However, heavier lamb carcass weights this year were expected to help offset the export fall, and rise by 7.5% on last year to 17.7 kg. The ewe lambing percentage fell from 118 to 113%, reflecting drought in many regions.
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