Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine showing that some 370,000 sheep were imported into Ireland in 2021 “do not tell the full story”, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has said.
Sean McNamara, the association’s sheep chairperson, said that the importation of lamb carcasses is “just as alarming” and was “adding to frustration of sheep farmers”.
“In the summer of 2021, Bord Bia informed ICSA that 3,500t of sheepmeat – in carcass form – had been imported so far that year,” McNamara said.
“If those figures were repeated in the second-half of the year, that would bring the total to 7,000t of sheepmeat in carcass form for the year. This is the equivalent of 350,000 20kg lamb carcasses.”
Recently, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed that 370,000 live sheep were imported into Ireland in 2021, in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáíl TD Jackie Cahill.
The vast majority of these came from Northern Ireland. Imports were most popular in the months of November, September, August and July with 42,995, 40,947, 38,842 and 37,816 imported respectively.
“When you add the volume of sheepmeat imported to the 370,000 live lambs imported in 2021, you are getting closer to the true extent of what local producers are up against,” McNamara argued.
The ICSA sheep chair said that sheep farmers “deserve an explanation” as to why factories imported the equivalent of 720,000 lambs (live and in carcass form), in 2021.
“We also want answers as to which markets this imported lamb is servicing; if there is full traceability; and if it’s being labelled as Irish.
“Farmers are extremely frustrated that factories persist with importing live lambs and lambs in carcass form year after year,” McNamara highlighted.
“We are an exporting nation. If there is a shortfall in supply why not give local producers the opportunity to fill these contracts rather than using imports to keep prices as low as possible,” he concluded.