Data presented by the European Commission shows the level of sheepmeat traded globally increasing significantly in 2018.

The main players on the export market are Australia and New Zealand, with the two countries combined accounting for in the region of 90% of sheepmeat exported on to the global market.

Drought-enforced slaughterings

The volume of sheepmeat exported from Australia and New Zealand combined up to October increased by about 50,000t.

Higher exports from Australia were underpinned by higher drought-enforced slaughterings, with the volume of sheepmeat exported rising in the region of 37,000t to reach about 430,000t.

New Zealand exports increased in the region of 24,000t to hit 365,000t and was helped by an improved conditions and a better lamb crop.

The method of analysis used groups the EU together, meaning that significant sheepmeat exporters, such as the UK and Ireland, are not highlighted in export graphs such as Figure 1.

The other players on the global export market are Uruguay and the United States, which exported in the region of 14,000t up to October.

Growing demand

Figure 2 details the main sheepmeat-importing regions in 2018 and the change on 2017 levels up to October.

EU sheep and goat product imports increased marginally by 2,000t to in the region of 158,000t.

The breakdown of exports is detailed in Table 1, which clearly outlines that New Zealand will once again fall well short of filling of its EU tariff-free quota of in the region of 227,000t.

China and Hong Kong overtook the United States as the second-largest importers of sheep and goat products, with total volumes rising by close to 20,000t on 2017 levels to reach about 118,000t to the end of October.

Exports to the United States did not vary greatly and recorded growth in the region of 2,000t.

These two markets show why Irish processors are so anxious to achieve market access and this has to continue to be pushed hard for in 2019.

The other area recording change was Iran, which up to October has recorded the greatest increase in import volumes, rising by over 20,000t to reach in the region of 32,000t.