DUBLIN: Ireland’s largest sheepmeat market – France has posted a reduction in imports during the first three months of the year.
The French market is the main destination for Irish sheepmeat exports, accounting for 35% of Irish exports in 2015, valued at over €80m by Bord Bia.
Between January and March of this year, imports into France dropped by 7% on last years levels, figures from the AHDB (the organisation for English beef and lamb) show.
However, despite the 7% fall in imports, the AHDB shows that the volume of sheepmeat Irish sheepmeat imported by France only fell slightly, down 1% on the first quarter in 2015.
And, Irish exports tend to be higher value chilled cuts, it says, with chilled lamb carcasses accounting for less than 35% of total French imports. This figure is closer to 80% for UK supplies.
According to the AHDB, the UK has been worst affected by the fall in French imports, with UK shipments down 14% in the first quarter on the same time in 2015.
It also shows that New Zealand imports dropped during the first three months of the year, back 17% year-on-year.
But, the volume imported from Spain in the first quarter is up almost 40% in the first quarter, the AHDB reports, giving it a 12% share of the market in the first quarter of 2016.
However, despite the fall in the volume imported, the French import price has generally moved up by 4% per annum since 2009.
