UK sheep meat trade increased in 2022

Published 2023년 2월 28일

Tridge summary

In 2022, the UK saw a 17% increase in sheep meat imports, totaling 54,300 tonnes, with a 12% rise in average price leading to a value of £342 million. Ireland became the second largest supplier, overtaking Australia, and there was also a slight increase in imports from New Zealand and Australia. The majority of UK sheep meat exports, 81%, were carcases, marking an increasing trend, with shipments to Ireland and Germany seeing the most growth. There was a decrease in shipments of bone-in product and an increase in boneless product. Sheep offal shipments, while small, rose by 9% to the EU, with 94% of these shipments going to the EU in 2022.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

For the full year of 2022, imports reached 54,300 tonnes, up 17% (7,700 tonnes) versus 2021. A 12% increase in the average price of these shipments brought the total value to £342 million, up £81 million year-on-year. A near four-fold increase in shipments from Ireland was the main driver of growth, with Ireland overtaking Australia as the second largest supplier of sheep meat to the UK in 2022. Monthly data shows that volumes were above 2021 levels all year. Nearly all product categories saw increases, but particularly fresh boneless product. Total volumes from New Zealand remained relatively stable by contrast (+900 tonnes). The majority of sheep meat imported from New Zealand is frozen (as legs), but as has been documented before, in 2022 the product mix of imports showed a more pronounced swing towards frozen and away from fresh. This was particularly noticeable in March-April, when (frozen) imports typically spike to fulfil Easter demand. Total imports from New Zealand did ...

Source: EuroMeat