Lamb Prices In South Africa

What is a Lamb?

Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, Ovis aries. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton.

Lamb Prices In South Africa

The price for lamb in South Africa in the formal market is currently R74 per kg for lambs with a medium fat cover on the carcass (Webb, 2015). A carcass weighing 16-20 kg can thus earn up to R1185-R1482 for a resource-poor farmer.

Why is lamb so expensive right now?

One year on from the first lockdowns, the pandemic has shown that demand for lamb can be strong, said Benny Cox, a senior salesman at Producers Livestock Auction in San Angelo, Texas. Lamb is traditionally pricier than other proteins, which is one reason pre-pandemic shoppers tended to avoid it.

Is lamb healthier than beef?

Lamb is higher in calories, and fats, including saturated, polyunsaturated fat and cholesterol, essential amino acids, and most vitamins. At the same time, beef is richer in protein due to more non-essential amino acids, iron, zinc, and vitamin B6.

What age are lambs killed for meat?

Most lambs/sheep are slaughtered at 10 weeks to 6 months, though some may be 14 months old.