Lamb slaughter numbers for 2023

The sheep and lamb slaughter numbers for 2023 are in, with the national kill almost 30 per cent higher than the five-year average.

Sheep and lamb slaughter levels in 2023 were the highest they have been since 2019.

According to data from the National Livestock Reporting Service lamb slaughter tracked by the service reached 20,671,026 lambs for the year, 8 per cent higher than in 2022 and 28 per cent higher than the five-year average.

Victoria processed nearly half of the annual slaughter at 49 per cent, while NSW slaughtered 26 per cent of the lambs.

September was the largest month for lamb slaughter, across all states except Tasmania, which recorded its largest month in June. In September Victoria slaughtered almost double the number of lambs as NSW, at 1,083,554.

Slaughter numbers for sheep increased 44 per cent on 2022 to 7,681,730 head. This was also 36 per cent above the five-year average. NSW slaughtered the most with 41 per cent of the total, followed by Victoria at 29 per cent.

The largest sheep and lamb slaughter numbers since 2019 were recorded in 2023. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Meat and Livestock Australia senior market information analyst Erin Lukey said weather, producer confidence and market volatility resulted in the largest NLRS sheep and lamb slaughter figures since 2019, and the largest NLRS cattle slaughter since 2020.

Ms Lukey said processors shifted their sheep meat options between lamb and sheep based on market price.

The cattle slaughter from NLRS monitored processors was 5,752,687 cattle in 2023 – 24 per cent above 2022 and 14 per cent higher than the five-year average.

As is typical, Queensland made up most the numbers with 52 per cent of the cattle, followed by NSW at 23 per cent and Victoria at 13 per cent.

September was again the biggest processing month for cattle for all states, except South Australia and Tasmania which had their biggest throughput in June.