Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

PRODUCTION: Commercial lamb and mutton production increased 17% in April to 15.2

million pounds, 23% above April 2018, as production rose to meet anticipated 

Easter/Passover demand in the second half of April. Commercial sheep and lamb 

slaughter in April increased 24% to 235,900 head, 30% above the April 2018 level. The 

average sheep and lamb live weight lost 8 pounds to a 129 pound average, 8 pounds

lighter than a year ago. The average dressed lamb carcass weight, at 67 pounds, was 

down 4 pounds for the month and from last year. Mature sheep slaughter increased 

36% in April to 11,300 head, 18% over the April 2018 level. Stocks of lamb and mutton 

in cold storage in April increased 32% to 40.9 million pounds to supply Easter/Passover 

demand. This was 20% above the April 2018 level. 

GRADING: The volume of lambs graded Choice and Prime by the USDA during the 

month of May decreased 14%, 3% under the May 2018 level. All regions saw a volume 

decrease in May as demand for the spring holiday season passed. Nationally, the 

number of lambs qualifying for the Choice grade decreased 12% and the Choice share 

of all lambs graded increased 3% to 94% as lambs qualifying for the Prime grade 

declined. Only the Upper Midwest had an increase in lambs grading Choice, up 2% over 

April while the Ohio Valley saw the largest decline in lambs grading Choice with a 41% 

drop. Nationally, lamb yields shifted back to the YG 3 grade with a 4% decline in YG 4-5 

lambs. Lambs in the Northwest saw the biggest shift to the leaner yields with an 11% 

drop in YG 3-5 shifting to YG 1-2. 

Lamb Markets Overview

A monthly publication of the USDA AMS Livestock and Poultry Program, Agricultural Analytics Division June 2019

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

millions of pounds

Commercial Lamb/Mutton Production

2019 2018 2017

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

millions of pounds

Lamb in Cold Storage

2019 2018 2017

0 %

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

YG1 YG2 YG3 YG4 YG5

Choice Lamb by Yield Grade % - May 2019

19-May

19-Apr

18-May

0 %

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

YG1 YG2 YG3 YG4 YG5

Regional Choice Lamb by Yield Grade - May 2019

Northwest

Rocky Mntn

Upper Midwest

Ohio Valley
Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

LIVE MARKETS: The volume of slaughter lambs trading on a direct negotiated basis in 

May, at 28,200 head, decreased 4% from April, 137% above May 2018. Prices were up 

2% during the month and 2% over May 2018. In auction trading, the average price for 

traditional Choice & Prime 2-3, slaughter lambs at Sioux Falls, SD, is currently not 

available on monthly receipts of 2,783 head. In San Angelo, TX, the average price of 

Choice and Prime 2-3 wooled and shorn non-traditional slaughter lambs was $143.00

per cwt. on receipts of 21,213 head for the month. At the New Holland, PA, sale in May, 

the average price for Choice and Prime 2-3 wooled and shorn non-traditional slaughter 

lambs is currently not available with total monthly receipts at 12,470 head. (note: Since 

auction lamb reports were converted to the new reporting system in May, comparisons will 

be available next month.) 

LAMB IMPORTS: The overall volume of fresh and frozen imported lamb carcasses and 

cuts increased 3% in April, 60% over the April 2018 level (Easter/Passover was in March 

2018). At nearly 22 million pounds, April imports of lamb cuts marks the highest monthly 

level dating back to 1989 when records were first kept. Fresh imports, at 42% share, were 

up 5% for the month and 72% over 2018. Frozen imports were up 2% in April and 53% 

over April 2018. The share of frozen cuts, at 58%, was down 1% in share for the month. 

Australia sent 67% of total imports in April with 79% of fresh cuts and 59% of frozen cuts. 

New Zealand accounted for 32% of total lamb imports with other bone-in cuts, including 

racks, making up 41% of total New Zealand imports. Chile, Canada, and Iceland rounded

out April imports in that order. 

Imports of whole and half lamb carcasses, all in frozen form, increased 16% in April and 

made up 5% of import share. Imports of lamb legs retreated 8% from March levels and 

accounted for 6% of imports. Imports of loin cuts increased 14% with a 39% increase in 

frozen and 13% increase in fresh form. Loin cuts made up 10% of imports. Shoulder 

imports rose 11% overall in April with a 25% rise in frozen volume and a 7% decline in 

fresh forms. Shoulders gained 1% in import share in April to 13%. 

The volume of imported bone-in lamb meat increased 9% and increased import share 

by 2% to 34%. Most of this increase was in frozen form with a 13% increase with fresh 

only up a percent. Imports of other boneless lamb cuts, not identified, decreased 7% in 

April and dropped 3.5% in import share to 31.5%. Most of the decline was in the volume 

in frozen form, down 17%, enough to offset a 12% rise in fresh form. 

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

dollars per cwt

Negotiated Direct Slaughter Lambs (CH/PR wooled/shorn)

2019 2018 2017

8

11

13

16

18

21

23

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

millions of pounds

Imported Lamb Cuts (fresh and frozen) 2019 2018 2017

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

dollars per cwt

San Angelo Auction Slaughter Lambs (CH/PR wooled/shorn)

2019 2018 2017
Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market

-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

DOMESTIC MEAT TRADE: The volume of trading of Choice and Prime, 1-4 lamb 

carcasses in May declined 20% from April as Spring holiday demand passed. May trading 

volume was 28% above the level of May 2018. The gross lamb carcass cutout rose 2% 

in May at $3.89 per pound, 3% above May 2018. The volume of negotiated wholesale 

trading of fresh and frozen domestic boxed lamb cuts in May decreased 8% for the 

month but was 37% above May 2018. Negotiated trading of fresh cuts was down 9% in 

volume and accounted for 86% of total sales. The volume of frozen cut trading 

decreased 1% for the month and accounted for 14% of total domestic volume sold. 

Traded volume of most lamb cuts declined in May from the Easter/Passover demand 

season highpoint in April. Most of the decline was for fresh legs and racks. The volume 

of wholesale sales of trotter-off legs declined 69% while prices increased 5% to $3.81 per 

pound. This volume was 1% above May 2018 and the average price was 3% more. The 

volume of sales of boneless legs declined47% and the average monthly price was down 

2% (from $5.50 to $5.37 per pound). Sales of medium 8-rib racks decreased 21% and 

the average price was up 1% (from $8.83 to $8.91 per pound). Frenched racks sales 

declined 9% in May and prices rose 1% (from $16.57 to $16.75 per pound). The volume 

of trimmed 4x4 loins trading was up 12% for the month with a 1% increase in the average 

sale price (from $5.18 to $5.22 per pound). Foreshank trading volume declined 22% and 

the average price was down 6% (from $4.50 to $4.23 per pound). Trading of square-cut 

shoulder cuts increased 14% in May and prices rose 3% (from $2.84 to $2.93 per pound). 

Trading of ground lamb increased7% for the month and prices were unchanged at $5.75

per pound. 

IMPORTED MEAT TRADE: The overall volume of negotiated sales imported boxed lamb 

cuts decreased 27% in May but was 3% over the May 2018 level. Sales of fresh product 

declined 36% for the month while frozen cut sales were down 17% as demand for the 

Spring holiday season passed. Imports accounted for 63% of all boxed lamb cut sales in 

May, down 5% in share from April.

The overall volume of sales of fresh

and frozen Australian boxed lamb 

cuts declined 34% in May with fresh 

product sales down 28% and frozen 

down 38% as the holiday season 

passed. Australian imports of leg cuts

declined in May as quickly as they 

rose in April (down 98%) in a typical 

post-Easter pattern. As volume 

dropped, leg prices rose 3%. Sales of 

frozen Australian legs retreated 49% 

in May and the average sale price 

declined 8%. Negotiated Sales of Imported Lamb - May

(change in primal price and sales volume)

Fresh price lbs. price lbs.

racks 101 72 -- --

loins 95 87 -- --

legs 1032 -- --

shoulders 101 86 -- --

foreshanks 98 33 -- --

Frozen

racks 96 87 99 96

legs 92 51 -- --

shoulders 112 74 -- --

foreshanks 100 83 -- --

percent change

Australia New Zealand

3.7

3.7

3.8

3.8

3.9

3.9

4.0 5

10

15

20

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

cutout dollars per pound

head in thousands

Lamb Carcass Sales vs. Lamb Cutout (CH & PR, 1-4)

2019 hd 2018 hd 2019$ 2018$

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

millions of pounds

Fresh Domestic Boxed Lamb Cut Movement

2019 2018 2017

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2.70

2.75

2.80

2.85

2.90

2.95

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

dollars per pound

pounds in thousands

Shoulders, Square-Cut (207) volume v. price 2019 2018 2019$ 2018$
Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

Sales of fresh racks were down 28% in May while frozen racks saw a 13% drop in sales. 

Fresh rack prices rose 1% while frozen offerings had a 4% decline in price. Australian 

fresh shoulder sales declined 14% with a 1% rise in price while frozen product had a 26% 

drop in volume and a 12% increase in the average sale price. Sales of fresh Australian 

foreshanks declined 67% for the month and prices declined 2%. Frozen Aussie 

foreshanks had a 17% decline in volume while prices were unchanged. Australian boxed 

loin cut sales were down 13% in May and prices were down 5%. Sales of imported frozen 

New Zealand rack cuts declined 4% in May but prices only declined 1%. 

RETAIL MARKETING: Supermarket feature activity for lamb cuts, both domestic and 

imported, fresh and frozen, decreased 53% in May, 48% above the May 2018 level. 

Featuring of leg cuts decreased sharply in May (down 95%) as the Spring holiday demand 

season ended. The share of retail featuring declined 54% to 7% of all lamb cut features 

in May. The average ad price for leg cuts rose 26% on the reduced feature activity as 

holiday promotions passed. As with legs, featuring of rack cuts, another holiday favorite, 

declined in May, down 71% with a 5% decline in the average ad price. Racks held a 4% 

share of all lamb cuts featured in May, down 2% for the month. Marketing of loin chops 

dominated all features of lamb cuts in May with a 44%. Featuring increased 41% but the 

average ad price was unchanged. Shoulder chops saw a 46% rise in retail activity in May

and increased ad share by 25% to 35%. Offerings were led by blade chops with a 71% 

increase and a 10% decline in ad price. Round bone chops declined 19% in activity and 

sale prices rose 9%. Retail promotional activity in May was made up primarily of loin and 

shoulder chop ads which combined for 79% of all lamb features. Featuring of ground 

lamb declined 57% and the average ad price for the month was down 12%. Average ad 

prices for shanks rose 1% but featuring in store ads declined 21% during the month. 

8

9

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11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

millions of pounds

Negotiated Sales of Imported Lamb (fresh and frozen)

2019 2018 2017

May 2019 37.4%

May 2019 62.6%

Apr 2019 32.2%

Apr 2019 67.8%

May 2018 31.0%

May 2018 69.0%

domestic

imported

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0%

Domestic vs. Imported Boxed Lamb Sales - share of fresh/frozen product sold)

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

feature activity (1,000's)

dollars per pound

Retail Featuring - Shoulder Blade Chops

19 activity 18 activity 19$ 18$

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

8.5

9.0

9.5

10.0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

feature activity (1,000's)

dollars per pound

Retail Featuring - Bone-in Loin Chops

19 activity 18 activity 19$ 18$
Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

loin 44% leg 7%

rack 4%

shoulder 35%

breast 2.0%

grnd/stew 6%

shank 2%

May Retail Feature Share

leg 61%

loin 15%

rack 6%

shoulder 10%

breast 0%

grnd/stew 7%

shank 1%

April Retail Feature Share

PRODUCTION: 1 / Apr 19 Mar 19 change DIRECT SLAUGHTER LAMB: May 19 Apr 19 change

Sheep Meat Production (lbs.)................... 15,200,000 13,000,000 117 CH/PR, wooled/shorn (head).............................. 28,200 29,300 9 6

Commercial Sheep Slaughter (head).....................235,900 190,700 124 price ($/cwt)................... 156.04 152.46 102

Fed. Insp. Lamb Slaughter (head).........................193,200 162,000 119 *AUCTION SLAUGHTER LAMB (shorn/wooled):

Live Sheep Weight (lbs.)......................................... 129 137 9 4 Sioux Falls, CH/PR, 2/3 (head)............................. 2,783 n/a

Dressed Carcass Lamb Weight (lbs.)................................ 6 7 7 1 9 4 price ($/cwt)...................... 169.57 n/a

New Holland, CH/PR, 2/3 (head)........................ 12,470 n/a

COLD STORAGE: price ($/cwt)................... 226.77 n/a

Lamb/Mutton in Storage (lbs.).............................. 40,949,000 31,026,000 132 San Angelo, CH/PR, 2/3 (head)................................ 21,213 n/a

price ($/cwt)................... 178.48 n/a

IMPORTS: * - updated to reflect shift to My MarketNews (click here)

Total Fresh/Chilled (lbs.)............................................................ 9,186,652 8,713,099 105 LAMB CARCASS:

Total Frozen (lbs.)...................................................... 12,791,867 12,566,334 102 National Lamb Carcass Sales (head)............................12,542 15,608 8 0

Total (lbs.)................................................................ 21,978,518 21,279,433 103 Lamb Carcass Gross Cutout ($ per pound)....... 3.89 3.80 102

LAMB GRADED: May 19 Apr 19 change BOXED LAMB CUTS:

Choice (head)....................................................................... 81,311 91,928 8 8 Domestic Fresh Boxed Lamb Sales (lbs.)............................. 6,044,887 6,635,029 9 1

Prime (head)....................................................................... 5,473 9,365 5 8 Imported Fresh Boxed Lamb Sales (lbs.)............................. 5,197,437 8,170,096 6 4

(current month grading numbers are preliminary and subject to change) Imported Frozen Boxed Lamb Sales (lbs.)............................. 6,565,003 7,942,042 8 3

1/

 - meat production, commercial slaughter, and live weight includes sheep and lamb; Fed. Insp' lamb slaughter and dressed weight are young lambs only. 

Quick Overview
Source: USDA AMS Agricultural Analytics Division (www.ams.usda.gov/services/market-research/aad) Lamb Markets Overview – June 2019

Pasture and Range Condition: In May 2019, nearly half of the nation’s pastures and ranges were rated to 

be in good condition as moisture levels have been positive for forage crops in the major lamb production 

regions. A third of pastures and ranges were rated in fair condition in May, just below good. Only 11% of 

pastures were rated as poor (9%) or very poor (2%). New Mexico pastures in May saw the lowest rating with 

35% of their pastures rated poor to very poor but conditions have been improving as the month advanced. 

Of the major lamb production regions, Rocky Mountain pastures had the highest combined good and 

excellent rating in May, led by Idaho where 78% of pastures received a combined good and excellent rating. 

The Upper Midwest saw the lowest combined good to excellent rating at 61% combined rating where 

conditions in Wisconsin were 70% and only 44% good to excellent. 

(derived from the Weekly NASS Crop Progress reports issued May to November); Regional Consists - Ohio Valley (MI, NY, 

OH, PA); Upper Midwest (IA, MN, WI); Rocky Mountain (CO, ID, MT, SD, UT, WY); Northwest (CA, OR, WA). Ratings based on 

percentages described as excellent, good, fair, poor, and very poor. 

LAMB PELTS/WOOL: In May, the average estimated 

per pelt credits returned to producers for unshorn pelts

decreased for most types with lower quality pelts seeing 

the most decline in credit. The share of unshorn pelts 

decreased 20% from April to just over a quarter of all 

pelts. Credits for shorn pelts largely held with some 

weakness in Supreme and Premium credits. May is the 

start of the shearing season. 

Domestic wool saw active trading in May with traded 

volumes of clean wool up 18% from May 2018 while 

trading of greasy wool was down 7% from May 2018.

Annual wool production in 2018 declined 1% to 24.4 

million pounds while the value of wool production rose 

16% to nearly $43 million. 

34

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38

40

42

44

46

48

50

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

million pounds

million dollars

Annual Wool Production and Value

Value Wool

Northwest

Rocky Mountain

Upper Midwest

Ohio Valley

Lamb regions

% 50 55 60 65

Range Conditions - Good to Excellent May Avg Lamb Pelt Credit Prices

credit change credit change

Supreme 2.05 -0.08 1.10 -0.02

Premium -0.43 -0.30 -0.08 -0.08

Standard -1.45 -0.45 -1.25 0.00

Fair -1.35 -0.60 -1.75 0.00

Mixed -1.00 0.00 -2.38 0.00

Damaged -1.88 0.00 -2.38 0.00

Consist % 26% 74%

Unshorn Shorn