Australian lamb production reached 435,392 tonnes cwt.

The rise was supported by an increase in lamb carcase weights and higher slaughter, with record lamb production recorded in both Victoria and SA.

With drought lingering across lamb producing regions during the second half of 2007 and the availability of failed winter crops, lamb producers turned lambs off earlier and at heavier weights.

As a result, average lamb carcase weights during 2007-08 increased 1.7pc year-on-year, to 20.8kg/head.

National lamb slaughter during 2007-08 lifted 4pc year-on-year, to 21 million head.

Contributing to the rise was a 30pc rise in Queensland, a 14pc jump in SA, NSW lifted 5pc,Tasmania by 1pc and Victoria by 0.2pc.

Lamb slaughter in Victorian and SA set records.

But in WA output slipped by 3pc.

Lamb slaughter is expected to tighten during the second half of 2008, following a poor breeding season in 2006-07 as a result of severe drought in spring/ summer, and the record new-season lambs slaughtered in 2007.