Sheep Industry News January 2022

28 percent year-on-year. Live, negotiated slaughter lamb market prices saw a 4 percent softening in Novem ber with prices easing to $231.22 per cwt. while still boasting a 38 percent premium compared to last year. Live weights in the live, negotiated trade averaged 143 lbs. in November, 7 percent heavier year-on-year from 134 lbs., suggesting that the supply situation has eased. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION DOWN; IMPORTS UP In January to November, estimated lamb harvest rose 1 percent year-on-year to 1.6 million head while estimated lamb pro duction dropped 2 percent to 75.5 million lbs., due to lower harvest weights.

mid-2020 to November 2021. In 2021, from January to December, inventories bounced around from about 21,000 to 27,000 lbs. At 141,729 head, the Colorado feedlot inventory was 111 percent of 2020’s December inventory, and 97 percent of the five-year average for the month. While lamb supplies were tight for wooled lambs dur ing the summer, the fall saw a surge in feedlot placements, to levels not seen for about four years. According to the Meat & Livestock Australia Sheep October Up date , as nutrition and health awareness rises post COVID, demand

Live weights in federally inspected harvest fell from 129 lbs. to an estimated 126 lbs. in 2021, down 2 percent. In the last 20 years, live weights at harvest have fallen from an average of 140 lbs. to under 130 lbs. by 2020. The lower average can be explained by the assimila tion of lighter-weight hair lambs and wooled breeds into federally inspected harvest. Lamb and mutton in cold storage fell by about 50 percent from

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