The push continues on Canadian lamb producers to increase production to meet rising consumer demand.
Those attending a Zone 2 Alberta Lamb Producers meeting in Lethbridge Nov. 5 heard that Alberta ewe numbers rose one to two percent from last year. The increase boosted the provincial flock to 90,000 head, but it is still eight percent smaller than in 2006.
“We definitely need more sheep in the province,” said Tony Stolz, consultant and project co-ordinator for the national sheep traceability project.
Canada continues to import 60 percent of the lambs consumed domestically. Much of that comes from Australia and New Zealand, where producers receive $135 per animal.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Prices of up to $165 per lamb are being reported in Alberta, which may encourage producers to step up production.
Stolz said 60 percent of lambs in Alberta are produced on farms with fewer than 50 ewes. Twenty-six percent come from farms with 50 to 177 ewes, 10 percent from farms with 178 to 500 ewes and four percent from operations with more than 500.
Even so, the medium to large operations produce 50 to 60 percent of the lambs sold.
Demand for meat
Global consumers eat 26 percent more meat than they did 20 years ago, which Stolz said should be a signal that there is a market for higher production.
“We are seeing record prices for lamb in the last several years and we expect that to continue,” he said.
Processors and accompanying infrastructure are jeopardized without consistent supply, he added.
The federal government wants national livestock traceability in place by Jan. 1, 2013, and Stolz said the sheep industry is approaching that deadline with potential producer benefits in mind.
The initial barrier of $4 radio frequency identification tag costs was overcome when cheaper tags were found. As well, a provincial government tag incentive program reimburses producers for some tag purchase costs.
Stolz said he has explored various traceability software and equipment with the help of producers who helped test the options.
His research has prompted Alberta Lamb Producers to plan workshops about FarmWorks, a flock management software designed to work with RFID, and SheepBytes, a ration balancing program.
“We feel these RFID systems can benefit producers,” said Stolz.
In other business, proposed changes were discussed that would alter zone boundaries for the ALP. Alberta sheep production has shifted from the south to the central region since current boundaries were determined, resulting in disproportionate numbers in some zones.
