Heavyweight contract helps

11-08-2010 | Contributor

The past season has been a really mixed bag weather wise.

Summer was two months late starting and up till now - early August - it has been a dry winter, thankfully, as winter crops are below average.

When summer finally arrived mid-January, the lambs did really well. We were able to capitalise on good sales for the border cross ewe lambs and a heavyweight contract from Blue Sky Meats.

Our lambs averaged 19.90kg and $95.61. The lambs on the heavy contract averaged 22.78kg and $119.27.

This price for 20-25kg lambs was announced in August last year. By the time you read this article we will know this coming season's price; indications are it will be no less.

Blue Sky gave this contract a trial the season before, successfully, in my view showing leadership as lamb producers came off three poor years.

This contract isn't suitable for all farmers. It depends on your type of country, and also not all sheep are capable of these weights, but it suits us.

The challenge in front of the meat industry is how to return more of the retail price to the farmer.

Silver Fern Farms seem to be in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. I find it rather ironic they are looking for industry aggregation again.

About two years ago Alliance was prepared to amalgamate and Silver Fern Farms walked away in favour of Norgate's deal with Wrightsons.

Joining forces must have some advantages if it can be done.

Some of the smaller companies are working on high-value niche marketing, which is successful too. The supply-and-demand dynamics have never been so much in our favour, markets waiting for the first lambs before they are born. It's a case of supplying a company that knows where they are going.

One of the more difficult things we have had to manage this year is fodder beet. With continuous wind in December it was a battle to get spray on and weeds were a problem. The crop ended up reasonable - weighing 20 tonnes.

When the ewes went on, I wasn't feeding enough baleage. After three weeks we drafted about 100 of the lighter ones out.

With the quantity of baleage increased, they are now doing okay, but I don't think I would grow it for sheep again. You need to feed a third of their daily ration in baleage and in wet conditions down here the mud would beat you.

On the home front we finally got our honeymoon. Anne and I had a mid-winter break away, with a week in Los Angeles then on to Vegas , then five days in Hawaii on the way home. It was a good time out and helped shorten the winter.

By the time this publication reaches you hopefully the whitebait are running and Southland still holds the Ranfurly Shield.

  Printable View