The Australian sheep sector has been setting new monthly records for lamb slaughter figures on a continual basis over the last year to 18 months.

These elevated slaughter figures are now combining to set new quarterly and annual records.

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), the industry body similar to Bord Bia in Ireland and the Agriculture Horticulture Development Board in Britain reports that there were 7.2m lambs slaughtered in quarter two alone in 2024. To put this in context over 2m lambs are slaughtered in Ireland over a full year.

Throughput was 4.2% higher than quarter one of 2024 and some 19% higher than the corresponding period in 2023.

Furthermore, MLA report that there were 27.5m lambs processed in the most recent financial year making it the largest 12-month period on record and running 25% above the five-year average.

Sheep slaughter

In contrast the sheep slaughter of adult sheep reduced by 2% in quarter two to 2.7m when compared to quarter one.

It must be highlighted however that throughput in quarter 1 was the highest since 2018 when there was an exodus of breeding ewes from the national flock.

The sheep slaughter for the financial year was also well above the norm. At 10.2m head, it increased 19% on the previous year and was the highest since 2008.

The high level of throughput is being underpinned by a combination of a higher culling figure due to a larger sheep flock and some farmers culling higher numbers due to disappointing farmgate returns up until recently.