Supermarkets chop the price of lamb but why not leg it to your local butcher

At Coles, lamb loin chops are now the lowest price they have been for four years.

The campaign launch comes the day after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese put supermarkets on notice, criticising them for not passing on lower costs to customers.

The association's marketing manager Graeme Yardy said he expected retail sales of lamb to increase during January.

"This is a big time for lamb and we're expecting one of the biggest seasons ever with prices more affordable than they have been for the last few years," he said.

He said lamb sales usually rose by 12 to 20 per cent during January, compared to other times of the year.

At Southland's Quality Meats in Mawson, owner Reece Travers had sold out of lamb and was waiting for the restocking delivery.

"We sell a lot more lamb during summer," he said.

"In winter it's a bit harder to move, but as soon as people fire up the barbecue when it warms up we sell a lot more."

His best-selling lamb products are cutlets and chops, butterflied legs of lamb.

"Whatever people can cook on the barbecue."

Travers acknowledges that it's almost impossible for small local butchers to match the prices major supermarkets can offer.

"We understand that in this economy people are just looking to fill the plate, to feed their kids for as cheap as possible, so they have money to pay their mortgage and that sort of thing.

"Convincing people to shop at their local butcher is hard to do."

At Lyneham Meat Centre, owner Phil Whitney might buy in 20 to 30 lamb carcasses a week.

"But the supermarkets can go in and buy the whole yard, hundreds at a time," he said.

"We can't compete on price."

Where local butchers hope they have the edge lies with quality and customer service.

"We source our lamb through Breakout River Meats near Cowra, just a couple of hours north of Canberra," says Whitney.

"The owner Chris Cummins has worked in the industry for more than 35 years, he owns property where lambs are raised, the abattoir where it's all processed as well, so there's a real connection to the whole process, which we hope people notice on the plate."

Whitney said he's noticed a decline in sales of Sunday roast kind of cuts, such as legs and shoulders.

"The average size leg of lamb, about two and a half kilos, is going to cost nearly $70 which is a lot of money," he said. "But if you're feeding a family of five or six it works out to be pretty good value, but people aren't thinking that way."