Sheep and Lambs

Sheep and lambs are raised for both their wool and meat. In countries that have high wool production, there is also demand for sheep and lamb meat due to the easy availability. Production levels have declined in New Zealand and Australia, but that has been counteracted by a substantial increase in China.

Prices – The average price received by farmers for lambs in the US in 2003 (through November) rose sharply by +28.6% to 94.28 cents per pound from 73.33 cents in 2002 and the 9-year low of 67.61 cents in 2001. The average price received by farmers for sheep in the US (through November) rose by +19.4% to 34.66 cents per pound from the 11-year low of 29.03 cents in 2002. The average wholesale price of slaughter lambs (choice) at San Angelo, Texas in 2003 rose sharply by 26.9% to a record high of 91.74 cents per pound.

Supply – World sheep numbers in 2001 rose +0.7% to an 8-year high of 898.132 million sheep. The world’s largest producers of sheep are China with 280.420 million (or 31.2% of world totals), India (20.2%), Australia (13.2%), and New Zealand (5.1%).

The number of sheep and lambs on US farms in 2003 (Jan 1) fell –5.0% to a record low of 6.350 million head, illustrating the downward trend in US sheep production. The US states with the most sheep and lambs were Texas (with 16.5% of the US total), California (12.4%), Wyoming (7.2%), South Dakota (6.0%), and Colorado (5.8%).