A total of 99,400t of fresh and frozen lamb has been imported into the EU from non-EU countries between January and July of this year.
The volume of lamb imported represents an increase of 16,200t or 20% from the same period in 2024, according to figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The AHDB figures note that 46,600t of this was imported from the UK, an 8,000t or 19% increase on last year.
An additional 45,400t was imported from New Zealand, an increase of 16% or 6,300t on the same period of last year.
Exports
Interestingly, EU sheepmeat exports from January to July of this year increased by 1,100t or 7% to reach 16,400t.
Algeria has been the largest EU sheepmeat export destination, with shipments increasing significantly since 2024 due to weather conditions limiting domestic sheepmeat production in Algeria.
EU sheepmeat exports to the UK fell by 2,200t to total 3,100t, marking a decrease of 41%.
The AHDB attributes weaker demand for lamb in the UK as well as lower product availability in the EU as the driving factors behind this trend.
EU lamb production
Sheepmeat production in the EU has fallen in key lamb producing countries, which the AHDB attributes to structural decline with producers leaving the sector as well as disease challenges in some EU countries.
From January to July of 2025, Ireland saw a 14% decrease in sheepmeat production to 31,300t, which was the largest volume decline year-on-year.
France and Greece also saw annual decreases of 7% and 4% respectively. Spain, the EU’s top sheepmeat producer, saw decreases of 3% or 2,200t to 61,300t.
The only EU country to see a significant increase in sheepmeat production was Romania, with a 206% increase in production to 8,000t.
This is due to a significant disease outbreak which resulted in increasing culling as a control method, according to the AHDB.
