Lamb Definition Public Consultation
The Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SCA) is consulting with producers and supply chain stakeholders to determine whether the current definition of lamb requires changing. SCA has released the SCA Lamb Definition Consultation Paper 2017 for more information.
The lamb definition is currently:
Meat derived from a female, castrated male, or entire male ovine animal that shows no evidence of eruption of permanent incisor teeth.
The proposed change of the lamb definition will:
Allow the eruption of permanent incisors, but without either incisor being in wear.
The introduction of meat and livestock specification language that is ‘fit for purpose’, allows for supply chain alignment that generates price signals from consumers back to producers. Alignment will facilitate producers being paid for the attributes that consumers most value at the dinner table – effectively bridging the divide that currently exists between livestock and meat markets. By bridging this divide and producing what consumers value, industry will grow the price premium Australian sheep producers receive for the quality, safety and integrity of their products.
Lamb is currently defined as a female, castrated male or entire male ovine that shows no evidence of eruption of permanent incisor teeth. Under this definition, as soon as an animal has lost a milk tooth it is reclassified to the mutton category. Consequently, the re-categorisation encounters a substantial price discount commonly known as the ‘price cliff face’. At the request of lamb producer groups, SCA commissioned agricultural consultancy organisation, Holmes Sackett, to assess the implications of enhancing the definition so that producers could better manage the ‘price cliff face’.
SCA welcomes all supply chain stakeholders to have their say on whether industry should move to adopt a definition that allows the eruption of permanent incisors, but without either incisor being in wear or maintain the current definition of lamb.
Input can be provided by completing a short ONLINE SURVEY, or alternatively detailed submissions can be made via email to Holmes Sackett at sandy@holmessackett.com.au.
QUINTARRA CONTINUES TO SCORE
A return to the WAMMCO ‘winners’ circle’ as Producer of the Month for June 2019 has confirmed the success of ‘fine tuning to optimise performance’ still ...
Read moreAustralia’s new definition of lamb — what you need to know
The definition of lamb is changing in Australia – from 1 July 2019. The old definition of lamb was ‘A female, castrate or entire male that has 0 permanent incisor teeth’. ...
Read moreOverseas Investors Ban Sheep on WA Farmland
WA Meat Marketing Co-operative Chairman Craig Heggaton has urged state and federal authorities to investigate reports that overseas investment trusts and companies are banning livestock production on the WA farmland ...
Read moreDowerin's Hudson Family Scores Again
There has been no loss of interest in prime lambs since Darrel and Diane Hudson of Yleena Farm Dowerin became the first Producers of the Month winners for their area ...
Read moreWAMMCO Title to Newdegate Pioneers
The Land Board members who granted young Narrogin farmer Barry Rick one of eight virgin land titles south of Newdegate in 1980 would have been impressed at the time by his ...
Read more
