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The long-term prospects for Irish sheepmeat is for prices to at least hold steady and possibly strengthen, according to Kepak’s Joe Walsh.
Sweden and the US are areas of potential growth for Kepak, which kills more than 500,000 lambs every year. Walsh was addressing over 300 farmers attending a farm walk organised by Teagasc, Kepak and QualEUtex on the farm of John Brooks in Taughmaconnell, Roscommon.
“There has been impressive growth in Germany, Belgium and Scandanavia and Irish sheepmeat has performed well. Sweden for example is a big growth area that has increased demand by 30% in the year-to date with retail and fine dining doing particularly well.
“We are no longer working in a carcase market. Kepak has invested heavily in state-of-the-art facilities in Cork and the UK to provide cooked and ready-to-eat lamb options while investment in our facility in Ballybay in products such as lamb burgers is expanding our consumer offering.”
Walsh also highlighted the US as key to growing demand for Irish sheepmeat.
“The US is a market which has huge potential given it only produces 45% of what it consumes. It is a slow burner but we are hopeful of some positive news on market access at the start of 2018, with a good chance of Irish sheepmeat getting some of this market.”
Kepak has opened an office in Shanghai and north Africa and Morocco other areas of potential growth.
Walsh warned that under-fleshed lambs have been a problem so far this year and highlighted the shelf life of lamb products and a clean livestock policy as areas to work on.
More bite in the sheep trade leading to better prospects in the short term
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