EBLEX has released its latest annual benchmarking report
for the year ending 31 March 2012.
The main message which comes from the report is the need for
beef and sheep producers to keep tight control of their fixed
costs. The report reveals the top third of producers in all
categories across the English beef and sheep enterprises spent
significantly less on fixed costs (see tables). The only exception
being store lamb finishers where the top third of producers
actually spent more on this category of costs. Even so, these lamb
finishers maintained positive net margins.
Output in both the beef and sheep sectors has increased due to
strong prices. Sheep producers have also benefitted from an
improvement in wool prices. It is estimated that all sheep flocks
and cattle enterprise margins excluding non-cash costs (unpaid
family labour, rental value of owned land and interest on working
capital) will be better than year-earlier levels. All except the
average and lower
