Lamb is making a recovery.

New figures from Meat & Wool New Zealand show lamb numbers are up 6.2 percent to 28.9 million from the 51-year-old low experienced last spring.

Economic service director Rob Davison says while lamb numbers are still well below the 32.8 million average of the decade to 2007, excellent spring weather brought some recovery. He says lamb production is up on last year, but the current exchange rate is a concern.

Last year's lamb crop generated $2.8 billion in export receipts.