There is resistance from some of the big retailers when it comes to stocking organic lamb and this is being put down to the seasonality of the product, a webinar has heard.
This is what Seamus McMenamin, sheep sector manager of Bord Bia, told listeners during the first day of the Teagasc National Sheep Conference on Tuesday, January 25.
The topic came about during the question and answer session at the end of the webinar, during which McMenamin was asked what the demand is like for quality assured organic lamb.
Replying to this, the Bord Bia manager said: “We have seen strong growth in organic produce across all categories – witnessing about a 9% increase.
“Organic lamb production in Ireland is quite unique, as we only kill about 15-16,000 organic sheep a year,” he told the Teagasc conference.
“One positive sign is that Kepak has started processing organic lambs, which has helped to create bit more demand.
“25-30% of our organic lamb is sold domestically while the rest is destined to Germany mainly, and some of it to Belgium,” he explained to the webinar.
“It is a strong market outlet but it’s difficult to grow as it is a seasonal product and there is some resistance from some of the big retailers,” McMenamin continued.
“They all stock organic beef but just the seasonality of lamb creates a problem when you’re dealing with retailers.
“However, in saying all that, there is a growing demand for the product, it’s just not at the scale yet to get a big retail order,” he concluded.