Irish sheep farmers are feeling the pressure as a flood of New Zealand and Australian lamb enters the British market, writes Bill Breathnach.
While Irish export volumes to Britain have slightly increased this year, falling prices and growing international competition are creating serious concern among farmers and industry leaders.
Figures released by the UK government in the middle of this month show Irish sheep exports to Britain reached 2,424 tonnes so far this year, up from 2,288 tonnes at the same time last year.
However, this comes after a slump in sales in 2024, when the value of Irish lamb exports dropped 3 per cent to €65 million, representing a decline compared to the previous year.
The British market is being flooded becomes with cheaper lamb from the Australia and New Zealand.
Under the terms of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Australia was allocated a quota of 25,000 tonnes of tariff-free sheep meat exports to the UK - a figure which will treble to 75,000 tonnes in just eight years.
New Zealand remains another major player, and together, the two countries are taking up growing shelf space in UK supermarkets and meat counters squeezing out Irish lamb.
Irish Farmers' Association National Sheep Committee chairman Adrian Gallagher said: "Lamb in Ireland is €8.90 a kilo and you have lamb from New Zealand or Australia for €4, maybe a €4.50 a kilo. It's not the same lamb either.
"The Irish lamb will be young, maybe 16 weeks old at the minute, whereas the lamb from New Zealand and Australia will be a lot more mature...
"So you're not comparing like with like in terms of quality or taste."
The current price of Irish lamb reflects significant inflation over recent years. In 2019, Irish lamb was selling at an average of just €4.76 per kilo, meaning prices have nearly doubled in five years according to the Department of Agriculture.
While this rise reflects input costs and a tighter supply chain, it also makes Irish lamb a tougher sell. Gallagher warned that the increased import activity is now spilling over into the EU.
He stated: "It's a result of Brexit, what they can do? Is it affecting the Irish market? I would say it probably is because the more lamb that comes into the UK, the more they can dispense to the EU, which we're obviously competing against."
(Pic: Getty Images)
