Lamb production and prices are on track to post a record high in 2010, up 2% on 2009 levels, despite extremely low flock numbers, according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s 2010 Sheep Projections. “The key factor underpinning this production growth is improved pasture conditions in southern Australia, combined with the positive price signals for lamb that continue to drive the shift in flock composition towards prime lamb production,” said MLA sheepmeat analyst Kara Tighe. “The... ...Read more »

Australia’s leading advocate of lamb, Sam Kekovich, has received supported from one of the world’s most famous businessman as he takes the Australian lamb message global. Now in its sixth year, the Australia Day lamb campaign has seen Kekovich head overseas as he seeks to persuade the United Nations to declare 26 January ‘International Australia Day’. Braving far from idyllic barbecue conditions in New York on Monday 11 January, Sam fronted up to the UN headquarters to deliver... ...Read more »

After five years of campaigning against ‘unAustralian’ behaviour across the nation and urging us to unite over a lamb chop on Australia Day, Sam Kekovich is set to take his cause global.Convinced that mankind is facing a pandemic that threatens its very existence – unAustralianism – Sam will ask the United Nations to declare 26 January ‘International Australia Day’ in his 2010 Address. “Our world would be a much better place if it were more Australian. If... ...Read more »

Brazil’s JBS S.A. has, through its wholly owned subsidiary Swift Australia, reached an agreement with Vion food Group to acquire Tatiara Meat Company (TMC).”TMC is a high quality lamb processing business, servicing quality high end markets in the United States, Canada and Europe. It has a strong brand and quality product reputation both in the international and Australian domestic market,” JBS noted in a statement.  JBS agreed to pay $30 million for Bordertown-based Tatiara –... ...Read more »

The National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness Commodities Wrap released today forecasts the Australian dollar to peak above parity with the US dollar, limiting the impact of rising soft commodity prices. Commodity prices have begun to rise again in US dollar terms but gains for Australian farmers are being wiped out by the strength of our currency. In commodities, NAB expects total farm production to remain unchanged in 2009-10, however wheat production has been revised down by two million tonnes... ...Read more »

Watch out Sam Kekovich, 2009′s Australia Day battle is about to heat up with Macadamias looking to take the position as Australia’s most Australian fare. “Macadamia nuts are more Australian than lamb – they are native to Australia and were eaten by Aborigines long before the English settlers came to our shores with their lamb,” Australian Macadamia Society’s CEO, Jolyon Burnett, said. Burnett says it is time for Mr Kekovich to come clean and let Australians know... ...Read more »

With the world in the midst of a financial crisis Sam Kekovich is pointing the finger of blame directly at one group, and one group only: over-paid fat-cat bankers. In his now familiar Australia Day address to the nation, Sam empties both barrels at the un-Australian behaviour of “bottom feeding, billionaire bankers”. “We need to return to the egalitarian values that made Australia great, embodied in our national dish: the barbecued lamb chop,” Sam says. “A chop tastes... ...Read more »

Australia’s protracted drought has devastated much agricultural land, and water remains the key to survival for many farmers. So when the going got tough the lamb got tender in the Riverina district of N.S.W. and a value added meat production industry was developed by a gutsy farming family. Bultarra Saltbush Lamb is now winning the praise of chefs and diners alike in restaurants in Australia and overseas. In the 1980′s Robert Meares Snr commenced planting saltbush on his family property... ...Read more »

The manager of the Cootamundra abattoir blamed for the recall of lamb products at Woolworths last week has left the company. Woolworths were forced to recall thousands of lamb products last Friday as a precautionary measure due to a strange odour emanating from the product upon opening. The blame was attributed to the GM Scott abbatoir in Cootamundra with some lamb product exposed to vapours from the resurfacing of the floor at the facility. The recall accounted for approximately four per cent of... ...Read more »