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UK lamb kill low in March
Thursday, 16 April 2020
During March, the UK lamb kill dropped by 101,600 head year-on-year, to 891,400 head, according to Defra data. The number of working days was higher than in March 2019. Ewe kill was back 5%, to 131,900 head. The entire decline was in Great Britain, with Northern Ireland recording a small rise.
Ewe carcase weights were over 5kg lighter on-the-year, at 25.4kg, having been exceptionally high in March 2019. Lamb carcase weights also recorded a modest decline, to average just over 20.1kg.
Together these combine to put UK sheep meat production down year-on-year by 3,500 tonnes, to 21,300 tonnes in March.
March was very much a divided month. Market conditions changed dramatically on Monday 23 March with the UK put on lockdown due to coronavirus and also a drop in demand from France. Using GB auction market throughputs, we can gather that much of the decline is likely to have been in the last week of March. Auction market throughputs were strong in the middle of March, with stock potentially being drawn out by the strong prices available at that time.
Compared to the AHDB forecast, actual lamb kill was lower, largely because of the decline in the last week of March. Whether these animals come forwards in April and May will depend market conditions. Some farmers have suggested they may put to the tup, ewe lambs originally intended for slaughter.
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