AUSTRALIA produced the most lamb on record in the 2022 calendar year, with the past quarter recording the most lamb meat ever produced in a quarter at 149,385 tonnes, according to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) - four per cent more than the previous record set in June 2018.

Sheep slaughter for the quarter was at 2,550,700 head - the highest in nearly four years - with mutton production also seeing higher levels than previously recorded with Victoria contributing the most to the big jump in mutton slaughter.

Victorian processors have worked through one million sheep so far this year.

These are the latest in quarterly statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on livestock slaughtered and meat production, highlighting record lamb production and growth in mutton production across the board so far this year.

For the first six months of 2023, lamb producers are tracking 7.7 per cent above year-on-year levels or 20,000 tonnes.

According to MLA manager, market information, Stephen Bignell, this indicates another strong, potentially record-breaking year for Australian lamb producers.

 “Following a significant flock rebuild over the last few years, we have seen significant lamb slaughter across the nation in the first half of this year,” he said.

 “Over 11.5 million lambs were processed to June 2023 which is the second highest start to a year since 2018 when over 12 million lambs were slaughtered.

 “This is an extra 1.24 million lambs slaughtered when compared to 2022, an uplift of 12 per cent year-on-year.”

According to Mr Bignell, nearly five million sheep have been processed so far this year across the country.

“This is an extra 2,024,800 compared to the same point in 2022, equating to an additional mutton throughput of 68 per cent year-on-year,” he said.

Lamb and sheep proceeds were above Q1 2023 levels and the same as March 2021. The gross value of sheep and lambs slaughtered increased 1.9 per cent to $1.2 billion.

 In the financial year 2023, lamb and sheep farmers made $4.8b for the sale of animals to processors.