Value of UK 2020 sheep exports rises on lower volumes
© Tim Scrivener UK sheepmeat exports rose in value to reach £437.9m during 2020, despite shifts in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Latest figures from HMRC show that the value of UK sheepmeat exports was up almost 10% on 2019 levels, despite the total volume exported (88,200t) dropping by 7.2% (6,850t).
2019 was itself a strong year for exports. If compared with 2018 figures, both the volume and value of sheepmeat exports in 2020 were considerably higher, up 19.1% and 6.1%, respectively.
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Glesni Phillips, data analyst at Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), said the main driver of the dip in exports was a 10.4% cut in shipments to France, the UK’s largest overseas market.
This was a result of reduced demand from the food service sector.
“However, demand from some emerging markets and into countries where product is sold mostly into retail did not decline,” she said.
“Export volumes to the Middle East increased by 18.3%, while value also shot up by 37.4%.
“There was also an increase of 27.7% in volume sent to Italy [an additional 1,150t], with Welsh lamb securing important new business in the retail sector.”
UK meat trade facts
- France remains the main destination for sheepmeat and accounted for 38% of total shipments in 2020, despite volumes exported to this destination being 10.4% lower than in 2019
- Germany and Belgium received 10.9% and 10.3% less sheepmeat by volume, respectively, during 2020 – although levels were similar to those in 2018
- Countries in the Middle East continued to see positive growth in sheepmeat exports, with volumes up 18.3% on 2019, while value increased by 37.4% on the year to total £13.5m
- Shipments of beef and veal to the EU decreased by 20.8% on the year, with the Netherlands receiving more than 2,000t less than in 2019
- Hong Kong accounted for more than 10% of the total volume of beef shipped – compared with just 8% in 2019, and 6.5% in 2018
‘Subdued’ sheepmeat imports
The amount of sheepmeat imported into the UK in 2020 fell by 6.6%, to total 58,500t.
Ms Phillips said imports were subdued as a result of a combination of factors at home and abroad.
“Imports are often highest during the first half of the year due to the nature of sheepmeat availability in the UK. In 2020, this coincided with the start of the pandemic,” she said.
“New Zealand is the main importer of sheepmeat into our country, and a 2.4% decrease in shipments was partly due to the overall decline because of drought conditions, which limited their supply.
“This was coupled with an ongoing increase in demand for meat from Asia following the African swine fever epidemic, which diverted some New Zealand sheepmeat away from the UK.”
Beef exports down
The picture was less positive for the beef sector, which saw the total volume exported down by 13.8%, with the value also dipping by 17.3% to £384m.
The overall decrease in beef exports has been attributed to Covid-19 disrupting trade flows, despite a 1.9% rise in beef production in the UK during the period.
Beef prices have also been relatively high in the UK, which has made exports less competitive.
However, there were fewer imports of beef from Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland in 2020, resulting in an overall reduction of 3.3%, while the value of imports was also down by 2.9%.
“2020 was unprecedented for all industries and the red meat sector was no exception,” said Ms Phillips.