Exports of Welsh Lamb and other sheep meat again increased year-on-year with both volumes and value seeing double digit percentage rises in 2023, new official statistics reveal.
New HMRC data shows the total volume of sheep meat exported from Wales is estimated to have reached almost 30,500 tonnes, 12 per cent up on the year, while total value hit £190.9 million - up ten per cent.
“It’s great news and really pleasing to see that, post-Brexit, increased shipments to the EU drove this very welcome lift in volumes and value,” said Laura Pickup, Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) Head of Strategic Marketing and Connections.
“It’s a credit to our export team that volumes of fresh and frozen sheep meat exported from Wales to the EU were up around 13 per cent on the year - and in addition, value was up 14 per cent at £179.3 million.”
She said France and Germany both continue to receive notable volumes of sheep meat from Wales and that HCC was “delighted that the figures for the Netherlands and Italy are climbing steeply, with volumes to Italy up an incredible near 40 per cent.”
Ms Pickup said although farmgate prices in Wales were firm last year, Welsh Lamb continues to be competitive in the global marketplace.
The new HMRC data for both beef and sheep meat showed the total value of red meat exports from Wales for 2023 reached £267.9 million, up from £257.5 million in 2022, an increase of 4.1per cent, while the total volume of red meat exports from Wales for 2023 was estimated at almost 48,500 tonnes, an increase of 0.5 per cent on the year.
“Volumes have continued to recover but they are still around 13 per cent short of the highs of around 55,500 tonnes experienced in 2020. Although we have seen 33 per cent increase of beef value to Hong Kong, the total value of beef exports from Wales for 2023 dipped to £77.1 million, eight per cent lower on the year, while total volumes of beef exports were down 14 per cent on the year,” said Ms Pickup.
