Lamb prices rise a shock 11.7 per cent with beef increasing by 2.2 per cent
Families are ditching traditional Sunday roasts because of soaring lamb and beef prices pushed up by the drought and overseas buyers. Competition between stores can have a significant impact on the suburb-by-suburb price of meat. SEE HOW YOUR SUBURB COMPARES.
Families are ditching traditional Sunday roasts because of soaring lamb and beef prices pushed up by the drought and overseas buyers.
Coles and Woolworths have confirmed the wholesale cost of beef and lamb has risen, while independent Sydney butchers say they’ve had to hike the price of red meat by as much as 15 per cent in the past 18 months because of prolonged drought and booming exports.
SEE HOW YOUR MEAT PRICES COMPARE TO OTHER SUBURBS BELOW
A 2.5kg leg of lamb currently costs between $28 and $50 at supermarkets and butchers across Sydney.
Lamb in Sydney increased by an average of 11.7 per cent in the 12 months to December, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Beef and veal increased by 2.2 per cent.
BIG VARIATIONS
Competition between stores can have a significant impact on the suburb-by-suburb price of meat.
Woolworths and Coles at Paramatta and Blacktown are currently selling beef scotch fillet for $35/kgl.
McFarland’s Quality Meats owner Todd McFarland said recent price increases had been difficult to deal with but most customers understood the situation.
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“There has been a 25 per cent increase on red meat prices from suppliers in the past 18 months,” he said.
Kane Woods, owner of K&A Quality Meats at Penrith said it was “getting tougher” to hold out passing on the extra supplier costs to customers.
A Coles spokesman said cattle and lamb prices were increasing due export demand, feed grain pricing, and drought conditions.
“As a result the wholesale cost of some red meat products has risen,” he said.
“Coles has sought to absorb some of this increased cost in order to continue providing customers value, however the price of some products has been increased to reflect a portion of the higher sourcing costs.”
ONLY WAY IS UP
Woolworths head of meat Chris Croese said while food prices had generally remained stable, the cost of meat was going up.
“The drought has increased the price of beef and lamb on livestock markets and we’ve been working to absorb as much of these costs pressures as we can over the past year,” he said.
Western Sydney mum Belle Goldie, 37, said in the past year she has started scouring supermarket shelves at night to find affordable cuts of meat for her family of five.
“One of the best ways to get discounts was to go supermarkets around Cranebrook really early in the morning or late at night once I’ve put the kids to bed,” she said.
“Normally we would not buy the meat unless it is more than a 50 per cent discount.”
SEE HOW YOUR MEAT PRICES COMPARE TO OTHER SUBURBS BELOW
Ms Goldie said she was concerned that red meat might not be affordable for her three children.
“There have been some times where we just can’t get the meat to fit into our budget,” she said.
Kurrajong mum-of-four Nicole Riley said her family loved lamb cutlets, but after a $8-$10 price increase in the past 18 months they were no longer an option.
“We used to have them about once a week but now it is a special treat every three or four weeks,” she said.
“We are buying more chicken and getting cheaper cuts of lamb like shanks, but even those have jumped up in price.”
Robert Herrman, managing director of agricultural forecaster Mecardo, said consumers should not expect the price of red meat to drop in the near future.
“Drought is impacting on supply to our international markets, so they are likely to try and maintain their supply, which will push prices up and impact on prices in our domestic markets,” he said.
According to Rabobank, in the past year Chinese meat exports increased by 48 per cent, Japan by 8 per cent and South Korea by 15 per cent.
The drought is also forcing farmers to sell cattle underweight. These are bought by feedlots who then fork out big money to fatten them up for sale.
These additional costs are trickling down the supply chain to domestic consumers.
HEAT FELT ON SHELVES
Sydney shoppers are feeling the impact of recent wild weather in the shops.
Torrential rainfall in Queensland and heatwaves and drought conditions in parts of Victoria and South Australia have left supermarkets struggling to keep up supplies of key produce.
Broccoli has risen from $3 to $10 per kilo and green beans from $6 to a whopping $16 a kilo.
Signs at Woolworths in Redfern advise that “extreme weather and heat in our growing regions” had affected tomato supplies.
Woolworths Merchandise Manager Warwick Hope expects supply conditions to return to normal prices soon.
“Due to the extreme weather experienced across the country in the past few months, we are seeing an impact on supply and availability on some fresh produce, including tomatoes and broccoli,” he said.
A spokesman for Meat and Livestock Australia, the group behind the famous annual lamb ads, said shoppers should talk to their butcher or retailer about what cuts of red meat are good value at the moment and get cooking recommendations.
“This will ensure you can continue to enjoy quality and tasty Aussie Beef and Lamb as well support farmers and the industry as they deal with the current drought,” he said.
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