Farmers donate lamb for struggling households as farmgate prices hit rock bottom

With retail prices soaring past $40 a kilogram for lamb cutlets in recent years even Sam Kekovich would have a hard time feeding lamb to his family.

But despite a recent drop in shelf prices for lamb it has still been out of reach for many family meal times.  

And farmers — some of whom have sold sheep and lambs at saleyards across the country for as little as $1 and $2 a head this season — are also in a world of pain. 

But in the rural south-east corner of South Australia a partnering of volunteers, farmers and Foodbank has put lamb back on the menu and given producers a much-needed morale boost in the lead-up to Christmas. 

The Mount Gambier Lions Club has arranged the processing of donated lambs with the meat delivered to the community Foodbank.

The club said it was not only meaningful for the families now enjoying the meat, but for farmers who would otherwise be selling the lambs at a loss, or potentially euthanasing them on-farm due to the slump in market prices.

“A local farmer approached me wanting to donate meat to Foodbank rather than it going to waste,” Lions Club project leader Peter Pignotti told ABC South East.

“I went back to the club and we decided it would be a great project to undertake for the local community.”

So far, two South East farmers have donated 35 lambs — producing about a tonne of meat worth around $2,500 for locals experiencing food insecurity.

Lambs are processed at an abattoir in Edenhope, dressed into cuts by butcher Brian Shelton in Mount Gambier, and delivered to Foodbank for distribution.

“The farmers are getting very little return at the saleyards for the sheep and they want to do something that’s positive and meaningful in the local community,” Mr Pignotti said.

“They want to do something positive rather than face the prospect of shooting the stock.”

He said Foodbank “has been very welcoming and supportive” with the meat delivered over the last fortnight and is expected to be in in constant supply in the lead up to Christmas.

“The Lions Club has set aside around $5,000 to cover the cost of processing and transporting the sheep and meat,” Mr Pignotti said.

“It’s the first time our club has done this. But a number of Lions clubs around the state have conducted lamb drives, including at Tintinara and at Kimba.”

Meat ‘out of reach’ for many

For a growing number of families in the region the high retail cost of meat meant it was being left off the plate “more and more”, according to Foodbank South Australia Limestone Coast branch manager Lynne Neshoda.

“A lot of our customers simply don’t eat meat, or if they do it’s certainly not these lovely roasts, chops, and cutlets,” she said.

“It’s fantastic to be able to give this meat away for free, especially ahead of Christmas.

“Meat is an expensive item, and we do purchase meat for Foodbank, but it’s usually just mince and sausages, sometimes chicken.

“But not prime cuts like this. It’s wonderful and so appreciated because lamb is normally out of reach for our customers.”

Putting lamb back on the menu

Lucindale farmer Patrick Ross said donating lamb was a positive outcome amid a market slump which has seen farmgate lamb values fall sharply in the past 12 months.

Meat and Livestock Australia data shows farmer returns for lamb collapsed 50 per cent in the past year, but consumers have only seen a modest 10 per cent reduction at the shops.

“The price the consumer is paying for their meat is much higher than the price farmers are receiving at their end. It’s frustrating,” Mr Ross said.

“Most of us face selling tail-end new season lambs or hoggets at below the cost of production.”

Mr Ross said he had recently sold light lambs through the Naracoorte saleyards for $16 a head so it was “a no-brainer” to donate other excess lambs to Foodbank.

“Giving is a great thing. It makes you feel good knowing that you might be bringing a smile to someone else, or at the very least something nutritional to their plate,” Mr Ross said.

“Hopefully there might be more farmers locally who want to donate livestock as part of this cause.

“Meat is expensive for those who are struggling but it’s an important part of our diet, and to give it at Christmas is a rewarding thing to do.”