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UK sheep flock contracts in 2021
Thursday, 14 October 2021
Data released by Defra shows that there were 32.4m sheep in the UK on 1 June, 1% fewer than at the same time last year. This marks four years of decline, from the recent peak in 2017 when the flock numbered 34.8m head. In this provisional release, data was held over from 2020 for Northern Ireland and Wales, which may mean the actual decline is larger.
The number of breeding ewes also fell slightly compared to year-earlier levels, to 15.3m head. The number of other sheep and lambs fell by 1% to 17.1m, including 16.2m lambs under a year of age (this year’s crop, not including those early lambs already slaughtered by 1 June), a decline of 1.6%.
For a review of what might be in store in the short term, please take a look at the most recent outlook for the sheep sector.
How the sheep flock develops in the coming years will be a response to a number of challenges and influences. Among other factors, there is demand for marginal land for alternative uses, and a decline in direct support. On the other hand, growing global demand for sheep meat is also forecast. For more information, please look at this recently published report examining the opportunities for the UK sheep sector.
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