Summary
- The Western Australian sheep flock was estimated to contain 14 million sheep and lambs in July 2015, including 7.5 million breeding ewes.
- As of mid-November 2016, 189 000 sheep and lambs had been trucked east from WA, a 108% increase when compared to the full year in 2015 (91 000).
- In November 2016:
- The heavy lamb over the hooks indicator averaged 468 c/kg carcase weight (cwt)
- The heavy lamb saleyard indicator averaged 447 c/kg cwt
- The mutton over the hooks indicator averaged 290 c/kg cwt
- The mutton saleyard indicator averaged 293 c/kg cwt
- The live export wether quotation averaged $90/head in November 2016, 4% higher than at the same time last year.
- The Western Market Indicator for wool averaged 1384 c/kg in November 2016. It peaked at 1410 c/kg in July 2016- the highest monthly average received in the last decade surpassing the highs reached in 2011.
- Total WA sheep slaughter has increased 10% year on year when comparing the first ten months of 2016 to 2015, from 3.14 million to 3.47 million head. Lamb slaughter increased 16% during this time, from 2.13 million to 2.47 million head.
- There has been a year on year increase of 11% in the total volume of WA sheepmeat exported between January and October 2016 and a 4% increase in the value of exports from A$262.1 million to A$273.5 million.
- There has been a 22% increase in the volume of WA lamb exported during the first ten months of 2016, surpassing the total volume exported over the full year in 2015. The value of lamb exports (Jan –Oct 2016) increased 10% compared to the same period in 2015, from A$172.0 million to A$190.0 million.
- There has been a 5% increase in the number of sheep exported live from WA in 2016 (Jan-Oct) from 1.42 million to 1.49 million, but a 2% decline in the value from A$173.2 million to A$169.8 million.
- There has been a 9% increase in WA wool receivals when comparing 2015 and 2016 (Jan-Sept) from 54.7 million kg to 59.7 million kg and a 10% increase in the value of wool exports from A$392.0 million to A$429.5 million.