UK

Lamb is losing out to beef in the UK. Beef sales are up 2% compared to last year with prices back slightly (1%). Total UK spend on lamb decreased 8.7%, while consumers bought 9.2% less volume. The decline is linked with lower availability of New Zealand lamb on retail shelves compared to year earlier levels.

US

US red meat production was down 4% last year. Beef production was back 6% to 11m tonnes. Pork fell slightly, down 1%, while lamb and mutton production remained steady. Commercial cattle slaughter fell 7% to 30.2m head in 2014.

Argentina

Argentina has shipped its first consignment of beef to Europe as part of an agreement with the EU last September. Argentina is approved to supply 48,200T of tariff free feed lot produced beef. The first 110 tonnes has been shipped including more than 18 premium cuts of beef.

Russia

Argentina is one of the countries benefiting from the Russian ban on European food where it shipped 25% more poultry meat to Russia in 2014 compared to 2013. It supplied 16,200 tonnes of beef, 26% more than in 2013.