Welsh farmers concern at surge in sheep meat imports
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has expressed concern following the release of trade figures which confirmed a significant increase of sheep meat imported to the UK in 2024.
Data released by the UK Government showed the UK imports of sheep meat surged by 40% last year, reaching 67,880 tonnes, marking the highest level since 2018.
Increased imports from New Zealand (up by 14,300 tonnes) and Australia (6,500 tonnes) now account for 86% of UK sheep meat imports, up from 78% in 2023.
Analysis by Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) suggests a range of factors are responsible for the rise in imports, including lower prices from the Southern Hemisphere, new Free Trade Agreements, and a record level of deadweight prices in the UK.
Data by DEFRA also showed UK sheep meat production had declined by 7% in 2024, while UK beef production in 2024 increased by 4%.
‘Real threat’
Alun Owen, Farmers’ Union of Wales regional vice-president said: “The surge in sheep meat imports from New Zealand and Australia poses a very real threat that could undermine the livelihoods of Welsh sheep farmers and the sustainability of our rural communities.
“The increased imports are perhaps unsurprising, and follow the Farmers’ Union of Wales’ longstanding warnings that previous governments’ liberal approach to trade negotiations with New Zealand and Australia could drastically undermine Welsh farmers and domestic food production.
“Increasingly we are witnessing a potential displacement of high-quality Welsh and UK lamb – a product of world-leading sustainable farming practices – in favour of imports that have travelled thousands of miles.”
High prices
Gareth Parry, Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Head of Policy added: “The tighter throughput of livestock across the UK reflects current confidence levels of the sector, whilst the resulting record-high prices are causing difficulties for processors and retailers across the supply chain which, in part, increases the attractiveness of cheaper imports.
“In reality, however, inherent to the increase in food imports is a reduction in the UK’s food security, both through the displacement of domestic production and through additional reliance on food produced many thousands of miles away.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
brexit eh. Tory ministers jetting the world and boasting of great deals not sounding so sweet now.
Tried buying welsh lamb? Its expensive and a rarity on my budget.
And farmers want my taxes.
Those Tory politicians who oversaw this should be taken to court in a class action…start with treason…
Most of the lamb eaten by Tory politicians (and the Labour lot) is paid for on expenses! Out of touch with any reality when it comes to cost of buying foods and other basics.
Not very long ago I read some article where Welsh and possibly UK lamb was being exported to Europe and elsewhere at high if not record levels. Is this a case of the premium product being sold elsewhere while we are still buying imported lamb for the home market ?
There is a dignity in the faces of that group that one rarely finds in the PR mugshots of senior politicians displayed elsewhere on here…
Sadly those Welsh farmers should have known better when they voted for Brexit. They not only lost their very generous EU subsidies, but were led by their noses over a cliff and now are suffering the consequences of their actions. We all are. We now pay higher food prices. There’s red tape & tariffs galore on Welsh products sold. Wales has lost hundreds of millions of Structural Funding. And our Senedd Cymru lost its EU Brexit powers, some part of agriculture that was stolen by Tory Whitehall. Also gone is freedom of movement, to work & live Europe. Basically we’ve… Read more »
There is no truth in the conspiracy theory that framers voted heavily for Brexit. This is ‘blame someone else’ rumour by the affluent urban population. Both FAW and NFU surveys at the time found the voting pattern of farmers reflect the general vote. Opposed in Scotland in favour in England. In Wales however, the areas where farmers make a higher proportion of the electorate voted to remain.
That conspiracy theory fits neatly into the general matrix of lazy thinking employed by those who just can’t reconcile themselves with their own abysmal failure to persuade others. They didn’t need to persuade any “Leave” voters all they had to do was get some of the non voters off their backsides to cast a vote. Non voters can be regarded as those who didn’t care which way things went until a few years later they found they didn’t like the outcome. Bit like those who don’t vote in Senedd elections or UK elections. Most of the “disenfranchised” are self inflicted.
Presumably it could go in the other direction just as easily or did Johnson’s Great Plan For Brexit do nothing to support exporters while flinging the doors wide open for global importers to trash domestic businesses.
And he did understand that imports shrink GDP while exports contribute to growth, didn’t he?