Farmers who have been watching their lamb prices fall have welcomed the move by McDonalds restaurant chain to put lamb dishes on the menu.
McDonalds will be selling lamb burgers and wraps in 160 of its restaurants from Wednesday 15 August.
Federated Farmers meat and fibre chair Jeanette Maxwell says farmers have seen the benefits of a similar initiative launched three years ago with New Zealand Angus beef.
She says since August 2009 McDonalds has bought about 2 million kilogrammes of Angus Pure beef.
Mrs Maxwell says if the lamb idea takes off here, there's the potential for it to be included in menus elsewhere - in particular the Middle East and Asia.
