French lamb prices still high as processors seek out supplies
Tuesday, 8 February 2022
French lamb production, in contrast to British production, peaks in the Spring. Therefore, the French market is just now heading into peak production. Last year France produced 81,800 tonnes of sheep meat in total, a similar total volume to 2020, and to the five-year average.
In December, French lamb prices reached record breaking highs, supported by reports of tight supply. With a limited supply of lambs, French abattoirs imported more live lambs from Spain to supplement domestic numbers. This meant production was kept at a typical level. Since then, prices have slipped but remain above year earlier levels.
The end of the Brexit transitional period had an inevitable effect on recorded trade volumes. France remains the UK’s main export market. However, British product destined for elsewhere in the EU was also exported to France, and then re-exported onto other countries within the bloc. This has meant that both imports and exports have recorded significant rises.
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