NZ lamb has lost spark, beaten by Aussie
New Zealand lamb has lost its spark and now trails Australia in production, size and marketing, says Rob Buddo from New Zealand lamb marketer Atkins Ranch.
Buddo highlighted the differences between Australia and New Zealand lamb to about 60 people at a lamb eating quality seminar at Pahiatua in Tararua.
He said Australia was one of the few countries in the world where red meat consumption was not in decline.
‘‘In Australia, they eat 9.5 kilograms of lamb for every man, woman and child and in New Zealand only 7 kilograms.’’
Buddo said the Australian lamb industry was growing and buoyant, unlike New Zealand, which remained static at best with dairy cows taking over some lamb country.
‘‘In New Zealand farmers get $5.10 a kilogram of lamb at processing, and Australian farmers get A$6.10.’’
He said Australia had pulled ahead of New Zealand in lamb production.
‘‘Australia has 39 million breeding ewes, and New Zealand, about 19 million. And Aussie lambs are bigger at 22.2 kilograms killed weight average, while New Zealand was at an average of 18.2kg.’’
Buddo said Australia had now overtaken New Zealand as the world’s largest producer of lamb.
‘‘Now 54 per cent of Australian lamb is eaten at home.
‘‘New Zealand’s local market is 9 per cent of its production. And the Australians work on their home market with advertising. Australia still does live shipments to the Middle East as well.’’
He said New Zealand relied on exports with most lamb going to Britain, and the European Union (EU) and that reliance had to change.
‘‘We have been doing the same thing for 30 years, if we carry on doing the same thing, we’ll be left behind.
‘‘Embrace change, we can’t do the same thing. And get closer to the consumer - produce what they want. Innovate which is in our DNA, so continue to improve.’’
Buddo said ‘Coastal Spring Lamb’ run by the Redmaynes, farmers at Tuakina in Rangitikei, was inspirational as they were in touch with chefs and consumers through supermarkets. He said that was an innovation which took sheep producers closer to end users and farmers needed to do more of that.
He said in his hometown of Hastings there were a few producers and a few lamb plants Aitkens Ranch worked closely with customers to market lamb and had a marketing arm in the United States.