Spain reduces its sheep herd by 44% in 25 years but boosts its exports.

The sheep sector has reduced its census by 44% over 25 years in Spain but, in contrast, has managed to boost its export business, increasing its turnover from 86 million to 575 million through foreign sales over these two and a half decades. These are some of the data that were presented this Monday during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the interprofessional organization for meat sheep and goats (Interovic), an event inaugurated by the Director General of Agricultural Productions and Markets of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Elena Busutil. Busutil has provided figures on the "painful" evolution since 2020 at the producer level, with 24 million sheep registered in 2000 compared to 13.4 million in 2024, while meat production has declined by 57% and there are 19% fewer farms. However, in the face of the downward trend in domestic consumption, the sector has focused on the outside, as she recalled. Thus, she highlighted how its turnover has sextupled in ...