Belly, 579.
I'm still waiting to hear from you how we are to increase food production by 70% to meet demand in 2050. It has to be economicly viable or it will not be achieved.

Sure the demand will be there but will the potential buyers have enough money to pay. The pics coming from Africa and Asia do not suggest they will have the money to buy.

So just how are we to become a food superpower. China is currently buying farmland here and in Africa with the obvious intention of looking after their own needs.

One scheme I heard of is to harvest vast amounts of seaweed, grind it up and flavour it, to feed the masses. The cost of specially designed ships or the transport costs were not accounted for.

I think we had better start mass distribution of the 'pill' to reduce the number of mouths. Education in family planning has to be the only way to go.

*Sheep numbers do need increasing badly. $ 150 each live, no wonder you cant sell a chop.*

579, just for your interest, I looked up this week's MLA lamb
indicator price for trade lambs, which is what the local market
buys. Its 441c/kg cwt. So an 18 kg carcass lamb is worth 79.38
in the saleyard. Take out 5% agents fees, that is 4$. Freight say
3$. Yard fees, 40c, another Dollar for the MLA lamb levy. So the
farmer lands up with a little over 70$, hardly worth jumping
hoops over. Yet they still can't sell them on the overseas market.

So much for increasing lamb production. We'd be back to disaster
prices, which is why so many farmers baled out of sheep in the
first place.

Banjo consider this before saying it is not a fair comparison.
How much has our food production increased in the last 58 years.
I think your target was 2070?
With new technology's we will walk it in.
Yabby, think big mate.
I do not have than many Friends,cut a sheep up, put 10% on price paid at exporter.
Send east in bulk, to one central spot/warehouse.
Quote a pick up price, and empty the store.
Mutton is off my shopping lists,except of cuts mostly fat,as dog food.
Come to think of it box that too send it along and watch it go.
oil seed and grain crops, remember we are talking bulk not prices, will do well this year.
We will be a superpower in these and other crops.

Africa is growing algae as food, contains everything needed to sustain life.
Algae pills are here as supplements.
$ 42 / kg for lamb loin chops, someone is ripping me off, not that i bye them.
Look outside the square, you might find something.

A prime lamb cost $6.50 Kg at the butchers back door. 25 Kg @6.5 =$162.50

Legs, 6 kg @$11=$66.00 loin chops 2.5 kg@$26 =$65.00, 16 cutlets @&3.00 each $48.00' 3kg BBQ chops @11.00kg =$33.00 chump chops 1.5kg @$21.00 =$31.50, 2 shanks @$4.00 =$8.00, 1 neck @$4.00, trim 5kg @$8.00 =$40.00, the rest is waste.

So that's a total of $292.50

So that's a gross margin of 80%, or a gross profit return f 44%, which in today's retail market is skinny.

And people say lamb is becommimg to expensive to buy.

The whole problem with the food industry today is that both the producer and the retailer are loosing out.

The handling agents, the delivery drivers, even to sales staff are get paid, but the consume demands a better deal, therefore, someone has to take a hit, amd in most cases it's these two, the first and last in the supply chain.

*Send east in bulk, to one central spot/warehouse.
Quote a pick up price, and empty the store.*

You could do exactly the same, Belly. Buy them in the saleyard,
find an abattoir, find a boning room, find a chilled warehouse,
find customers. No need to transport lambs from WA.

Me, I have a bit over 400 left from last season, in the feedlot
paddock. I mixed up another 10 tonnes of grain and minerals for
them today. I actually enjoy watching them play little games,
jump over the water trough and munch to their hearts content.
No need to tell them that lamb heaven awaits on the 12th June.
I'm actually always sad to see them go, for some reason, but
reality is reality. I enjoy seeing animals lead happy lives.

Then on July 2nd its off to the back specialist to see if he
can patch me up. The neighbours are putting in my crop.