Sheep producers in Saskatchewan need to produce a more consistent
product if they are going to develop a market.
That message was sent by three Saskatchewan sheep producers at the
Saskatchewan Rural Economic Opportunities Conference in Saskatoon last
week.
Gord Shroeder operates a 400-ewe, Suffolk-cross farm near Saskatoon,
and works for the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board.
He said the sheep business needs some consistent quality and quantity
to reduce costs and compete with other meats and foreign imports for
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space in grocery stores.
“For legs and racks we have to compete with New Zealand. We can’t beat
their prices head to head. And they offer consistency to the retailer.
They can deliver 900 racks, all identical, any day of the week,” he
said.
The New Zealand flock was 45 million animals in that country’s 1999
census. By comparison, Canada had just over one million animals in 2001.
“I think I counted 31 different breeds being sold for meat in
Saskatchewan. That is too many different kinds of animals for a
consistent product,” he said.
Brian Murray agrees. He is a third generation sheep producer who farms
at Eastend, Sask. Drought has forced him to reduce his flock to 300
ewes from 500.
“Feedlots, finishers, packers want consistent animals. They need to
have products they can count on,” he said.
Bob Young farmed in Scotland for nearly two decades before coming
Canada.
To his Dysart, Sask., farm he brought his knowledge of United Kingdom
sheep production and marketing. He now raises 100 Texel-cross ewes and
plans to expand to 400 in the coming years.
“If we never develop a steady supply of high quality lambs, we are
never going to establish a market in this country. First we need to get
(consumers in Saskatchewan) to eat lamb. Then we can move on to other
markets from there.”
He said the Saskatchewan market needs to establish grading standards
similar to those in the U.K.
“We got a significant premium for top end lambs (in the U.K.). That was
because there was a market for the meat. Packers that could make a buck
and buyers that demanded the best … would pay for it.”
Young said in that system producers would gravitate to producing
certain types of animals to specific weights and for delivery at a
variety of times throughout the year to capture premium prices.
“First we have to convince our own (Saskatchewan) people, sickened by
eating mutton, that lamb is not mutton.”
He also said the industry needs to attract a lamb slaughter facility to
Saskatchewan and locate it near Regina and the larger sheep feedlots.
“We shouldn’t have to ship our animals to other provinces for
slaughter. We should do it here at home. And we’d get a better idea of
where the money is being made,” Young said. “The grocery is charging
the consumer $10 a pound for it. I’m getting $1. Somebody has found
there is money in Saskatchewan lamb.”
