EU sheep meat decline may lift prices

A PREDICTED continued decline in sheep meat supplies across the European Union should help to underpin prices in the future, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

During a visit to Teagasc Athenry, where the national sheep research centre is based, she said supplies so far this year were at 82% of last year’s level while prices were up 5% on average for the same period.

“While the sheep meat market in 2006 was relatively steady, we did witness a decrease in production reflecting a reduction in the breeding flock following on from the decoupling of premia from production in 2005.”