Is lamb off the menu this Easter?

It’s a tradition that many have enjoyed over the years, but the rise in lamb prices could see the lamb roast taken off the table for a lot of Australians.

After a “week lambing” season took its toll on farms on the east coast of Australia, the price of lamb as risen more than 30 per cent over last year. While some butchers are trying to absorb the price to keep competitive, many are feeling the pinch.

Chief of Tasman Market Fresh Meats, Matt Swindells, told The Canberra Times, “If you told me a year ago that we would be selling lamb at $7.99 a kilo up from $6.99 a year ago, I would not have believed you”.  He added, “It used to be that beef prices were an issue but now it’s the whole red meat category… at the same time the supermarkets started a meat price war last winter.”

Many commenters on The Canberra Times article offered their tips such as one user posting, “I bought a leg of lamb and froze it about a month ago when they were on special. We are having it on Sunday. Plan ahead.” However, the reality as another user pointed out isn’t that easy when they wrote, “Not many can afford to plan ahead. Most live eek to week thanks to no wage rises and now penalty cuts. More and more asking charities for food”.

One other commenter was less than sympathetic writing, “I just butchered four lambs for the freezer that I’ve had hanging around as my freezer was full after I put a steer in it last August. He was 300 kilos of prime black Angus beef. I have three more lambs to go in as well so it’s kind of funny watching meat prices go through the roof.. I can’t find a decent plumber or carpenter that works for less than $300 a hour so guess what.. I’m not crying a river.. Boo hoo..”

What do you think of the situation? Do you think the major supermarkets are hurting the industry? Should the government get involved?