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Domestic production of UK sheep meat is down 7.8% year on year for the period running from January to September 2024.
UK production totalled 193,000t from January to September, down from 209,000t last year and the 212,000t from the same period in 2022.
A key factor causing the drop in production is a 7.9% decline in the prime sheep kill with 8.19m prime sheep processed in 2024, down 700,000 head on 2023 levels.
Closer to home, prime sheep processed at NI plants during the outlined period is down 11.6% or 40,467 head year on year to 308,551.
Imports
With fewer sheep coming onto the domestic market, imports of fresh and frozen sheep meat have increased by 14,551t to 53,372t in the first eight months of 2024, figures published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show.
Over half this total comes from New Zealand, with imports of fresh and frozen product up 51% in 2024 to stand at 29,833t.
The next largest supplier to the UK market is Australia, with fresh and frozen sheep meat imports rising 69% in 2024, to stand at 10,829t.
At the end of May 2023, post-Brexit UK free trade agreements came into force with both southern hemisphere countries, which effectively allow large volumes of sheep meat to come in tariff-free.
UK exports
Unsurprisingly, with reduced domestic throughput, exports of UK sheep meat in 2024 are down 6% on 2023 levels at 52,309t.
The EU remains the biggest export market for UK sheep meat with 44,850t shipped in the first eight months of the year, of which 24,809t has been exported to France, with 9,188t going to Germany.
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