Farmers suggest higher lamb prices

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 5

Farmers suggest higher lamb prices

PA Wellington The freezing industry should offer farmers more for lightweight lambs if it wanted to encourage killing stock earlier, said the president of the -Federated Farmers, Mr Elworthy. Freezing . works are predicting delays and a long season because stock has been slow coming in. Overall numbers are down 46 per cent on last season. Figures to the end of December show the North Island lamb kill down nearly 35 per cent and the South Island 58 per cent These represent . a 2.5 million lamb difference on the previous season. One main reason for the drop is the extra feed about,' causing farmers to hold out for heavier lambs and better prices. Mr Elworthy said that if works wanted the stock then better money should be paid for lighter weights.

“Every fanner has to make his decision based on his position on the farm and the meat schedule,” he said. If freezing companies paid better prices for lighter lambs farmers would send them in. The schedule was based on better money for heavier lambs. These obviously took longer to grow and with more feed about farmers would go for the premium prices, Mr Elworthy said. The general manager of Borthwick-C.W.S., Mr Dennis Waple, said that the season got off to a slow start None of the company’s works at Longbum, Feilding, Waingawa or Waitara was working to capacity. “It is unprecedented not to be at full capacity at this time of the year,” he said. Mr Waple predicted long and expensive delays later in the season when farmers sent stock in all at once.