British lamb quality shows valuable improvement

DESPITE failing to match the record performance of last year, the quality of British lamb carcases has improved noticeably over the past five years.

 

According to the latest annual Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board classification results analysed by EBLEX, the reports from a sample of just under 190,000 lambs slaughtered in British abattoirs in 2009 show 57% meeting the target ‘R3L or Better’ specification required by the main lamb buyers. Although down on the record 59% achieved in 2008, this was fully five percentage points up on the level of 2004.

 

At 59% and 52% respectively, the proportions of new and old season lamb carcases achieving the target specification last year both showed substantial gains over 2004, suggesting valuable across-the-board production and marketing improvements.

 

Paralleling recent improvements in beef carcase quality, more detailed analysis shows the bulk of the quality gains coming from better levels of finish rather than conformation, indicating greater attention being paid to selection to hit market specification. Particularly encouragingly, the 10 percentage point gain in the proportion of old season lambs finishing at ‘3L or Leaner’ underlines the extent to which store lamb producers have become more adept at timing their marketing. In the past two years, in particular, this has done much to ensure a healthier early spring market by minimising the overhang of old season lamb.

 

While no improvement is evident in the overall conformation figures over the past five years, the higher proportion of new season lambs now classifying R or Better is also encouraging.

 

Producers are currently achieving the greatest new season carcase quality success with lambs in the mainstream 16-20kg weight band – nearly 68% of these classifying in the target ‘R3L or Better’ specification. This compares with just under 50% in the 12-16kg range better suited to specific export markets– mainly as a result of inadequate conformation – highlighting a valuable focus for future improvement efforts.

 

 

British Lamb Carcase Performance 2004 – 2009 (AHDBMS) 

	Finish 3L or Leaner		Conformation R or Better		Overall Classification R3L or Better*
	2004	2009	2004	2009	2004	2009
All Lambs	69%	75%	79%	79%	52%	57%
New Season Lambs	71%	74%	81%	83%	56%	59%
Old Season Lambs	66%	76%	74%	71%	45%	52%

 

*   Both leaner and better conformation 

 

Practical guidance to support continued improvements in carcase quality is available free of charge to English levy payers through the EBLEX Beef Returns Programme and the Lamb Action for Profit resource, both accessible at www.eblex.org.uk.

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