German imports of Irish sheepmeat dropped by 38% in 2015 on the year before, according to recent figures from the AHDB (the organisation for UK beef and sheep).
The figures show that in 2015, Irish sheepmeat exports to Germany stood at 1,900t. This is a drop of about 1,000t compared to 2014 levels. At the same time imports from New Zealand increased by 17%.
Ireland is still the fourth largest supplier of sheepmeat to Germany, it shows.
Despite the fall in Irish sheepmeat exports, the overall value of German sheepmeat imports increased by 10% to €283.8m in 2015, the data presented by the AHDB shows.
Germany imported more than 35,000t of sheepmeat in 2015, which jumped by 4% on the previous year, the figures show.
The data shows that New Zealand is still the main supplier of sheepmeat in German, with import volumes increasing by 17% in 2015 on the year before to reach 21,800t.
German imports of sheepmeat from the UK also increased in 2015, the data shows, with the amount shipped from the UK rising by 3% or 7,000t in 2015 compared to the previous year.
The figures show that UK sheepmeat accounts for approximately 20% of all the imported sheepmeat available on the German market.
Irish exports to Germany
The value of Irish food and drink exports to Germany stood at €565m in 2014, figures from Bord Bia show.
The primary products exported from Ireland to Germany were dairy and beef, which accounted for 41% and 21% respectively of total exports in 2014.
According to Bord Bia, sheepmeat exports to Germany accounted for 3% of the total value in 2014.
The fall in the volume of Irish sheepmeat exports to Germany comes following a four-year period of growth.
Figures from Bord Bia show that Irish sheepmeat exports to Germany increased by 10% between 2010 and 2014. Bord Bia estimates that this increase was worth €20m in value terms.