Live export pressure Officials and market analysts mostly seem to believe there will not be a quick build-up of live sheep exports. But even a modest offtake of stock from the British market during the current year would be sure to cause trouble for processors. MLC sheep sector economist Jane Connor's latest forecast is of only a modest rise in the kill this year. She predicts 12.3m clean sheep will be slaughtered, 10% more than last year but still far below the 16m killed in the year before FMD. With demand in the home retail and further processing trades seen as at least stable and the New Zealanders unlikely to boost supplies strongly, persistent buoyant prices appeared inevitable even before live exports were given the green light. {{MEAT }}