Decline in lamb exports confirmed

Marts: Lower lamb production and a strong domestic market has resulted in a decline of 5% in sheep meat exports for the first eight months of this year.

The decline has been confirmed in statistics from the CSO which show that throughput at the processing centres was 3% lower than for the same period last year.

This, added to strong demand for lamb on the home market, led to the 5% drop in exports.

France remained as the principal export market.

French imports of Irish lamb meat amounted to 21,000 tonnes between January and August, which was 7% — equal to 1,500 tonnes — lower than in 2005.

Shipments to Britain at 10,000 tonnes were also lower than the previous year.

Bord Bia points out that the lower exports to Britain reflected the lower ewe throughput at the factories, which was back by 11% as Britain remains one of the main destinations for Irish mutton supplies.

Supplies of Irish lamb were also marketed in Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium during the year.

Supplies to these outlets remain low in volume but trade with Italy and Sweden increased by 53% and 20% in scale to 904 tonnes sold into the Italian market and 1,800 tonnes to Sweden.

Sales to Germany were down by 19% at 1,283 tonnes and to Belgium by 10% at 1,150 tonnes. Denmark was the smallest customer at 460 tonnes.

Total throughput at the export plants up to the end of November was 3% lower than for 2005. This was caused by the drop in ewe supplies.

The supply is 12% lower, equivalent to over 60,000 head less.

The intake of lambs is back by over 1%, amounting to 41,953 fewer lambs being supplied.

Prices paid to producers are 2% higher than for 2005 and the trade was strong in May, with good demand on the home market which has kept the trade buoyant in recent weeks, despite the fall in demand on the French market.