EU sheep-meat fall of 20% to be discussed
Production has fallen by 20% in 15 years, leaving the EU only 80% self-sufficient for sheep-meat.
Average annual consumption in the EU has declined to 3.4kg, down from 3.7kg in 2000. Agriculture ministers will attend from Ireland, Britain, Spain and Romania, and from the countries that follow France’s EU presidency in 2009 (Sweden and the Czech Republic). The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, industry experts, and stakeholders have been invited to discuss ways to ensure the sector’s viability.
Avenues explored will include more research and training, rebalancing of public aid to benefit the sheep sector, improving the organisation of market supply, and more intensive promotion of lamb among consumers.
The French government views sheep farming as crucial for difficult geographical areas, where its environmental role is of the highest importance.
Ireland has lost nearly two million breeding ewes in recent years. Farmers blame low prices, which have gone under the cattle price for the first time in living memory (per kilo of meat).
Professor Frank Crosby, of UCD, has estimated that farmers need €4.34 per kilo to break even, but the price now is at €3.70.
The global sheep flock has shrunk by 5% in 15 years. In the last year alone, New Zealand’s sheep numbers slumped 11%. Only China, the leading producer with 170m head, has expanded its flock.
* Liam Aylward, MEP, who prepared a major European Parliament report into the future of the sheep farming sector in Europe, will be a keynote speaker at Limoges.
He will demand that EU farmers and processors not be disadvantaged by imports of non-EU sheep-meat, call for extra promotion of the health and dietary benefits of lamb products, and reduction of sheep-farming costs.
