Alliance Group Increases Premium on Handpicked Lamb

Alliance Group has increased the premium it pays farmers for its Handpicked Lamb programme as the demand for high-quality lamb grows.

The Pure South Handpicked Lamb programme uses an assessment system to measure eating quality with the qualifying lamb exported to premium retail markets in Asia and North America.

Alliance has now increased the premium payment from 10c/kg to 15c/kg to all qualifying animals that meet the requirements at the time of processing. The 15 cent premium is on top of the 15 cent premium Alliance Group currently pays for lambs raised without antibiotics.

“There is increasing demand for high quality lambs in our premium markets so we’re encouraging farmers to join the Handpicked Lamb programme,” says Danny Hailes, general manager livestock and shareholder services.

“We are seeing increasingly discerning consumers around the world willing to pay a price premium for our lamb and the attributes guaranteed by a brand they trust.”

“This is great news for our farmers and the co-operative as we seek to capture greater market value for our products and pass those gains directly back to farmers supplying the programme.”

The programme is open to all Alliance Group shareholders. Lambs must achieve special raising claim requirements and be antibiotic-free.

The lambs must also weigh between 14.5-25kgs, meet required levels of fat cover, intramuscular fat and have desirable pH levels. All ewes supplying lambs must be body condition scored throughout the year.

Only wether and ewe lambs may be supplied to the programme. The lamb are selected from any breed except Merino. Lambs with greater than 50% Merino genetics are not accepted as these have their own unique attributes and are marketed under the premium Silere Alpine Origin Merino brand.

All lambs for the programme must be supplied directly to Alliance and there is no minimum mob size.

The meat is hand-selected through Alliance’s plants and then aged to ensure eating quality.