Australian Meat for the Trade: Australian Lamb, Beef and Goatmeat Industries, Suppliers and Resources
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Australian Lamb

Product Guide

Purchasing

Chiller Assessment

Packaging

Labeling

Processing

Livestock Production



 
Production of Australian Lamb

In Australia, lambs are produced in a wide range of climates - from the arid and semi-arid parts of the inland region to the high rainfall areas of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. The southwest corner of Western Australia is also an important lamb-producing region.

There are three major groups of sheep bred in Australia — those which produce wool, those grown for meat — and the remainder are dual-purpose sheep grown for both wool and meat.

Merinos and their crosses are the most prominent breed of the Australian sheep industry. Renowned for producing high quality wool, this breed also plays an important role in meat production. While Merinos themselves are a suitable meat sheep (particularly for export markets in the Middle East), when crossed with meat and dual-purpose breeds (predominantly British types) they produce the large, lean lambs preferred by the domestic market and high-quality export trade, the U.S. market in particular.

Production of Australian Lamb

Lamb production in Australia is usually confined to areas of good pastoral conditions and high rainfall. This includes the slopes and tablelands of New South Wales and Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and south-west Western Australia. Mutton and wool production, however, is spread throughout the sheep producing areas.

The size of the Australian sheep flock has fluctuated significantly over the years in response to varying seasonal conditions, movements in wool prices and the relative profitability of other enterprises. In 1970 the sheep flock peaked at 180 million head, however, taking the above factors into account, sheep numbers are currently estimated at around 100 million.

Quality Assured

All sheep raised and processed in Australia are covered by the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) – meaning the meat packer knows the history of how the animal was raised.

The NVD is the food safety document that underpins the Livestock Quality Systems (LQS) program in Australia. The LQS program provides certification and verification systems that can be used to instill confidence in on-farm food safety practices.

LQS incorporates the Flockcare quality assurance program that is based on HACCP and ISO 9002. Flockcare is an independently audited LQS program for on-farm management practices including chemicals.

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