SIAL 2010: Joint approach helps keep lamb on the menu

A united approach by red meat levy bodies in the UK, Ireland and France has slowed down a year-on-year decline of lamb consumption in France.

At the 2010 Sial exhibition in Paris this week, Wales’ meat promotion body, Hybu Cig Cymru, revealed that a consistent 3% decline in lamb sales had been reduced to 0.8% last year thanks to the joint Agneau Presto campaign.

Remy Fourrier, who works on behalf of the four levy-funded bodies, said the results were encouraging.

France is only 40% self-sufficient in lamb and imports from the UK and Ireland have been steadily increasing to fill that gap. France is Wales’ biggest lamb customer with sales last year worth nearly £77m. Total exports of Welsh lamb are valued at just over £109m. Some 4m lambs are slaughtered in Wales every year, with 1.3m exported.

The Agneau Presto campaign has concentrated on a move away from price per kilo to smaller, boneless cuts with little fat. “Until last year lamb consumption was decreasing but we have now achieved the slowest decrease,” said Mr Fourrier.

The biggest buyer of Welsh lamb is the luxury Monoprix supermarket chain. The solid supply chain, from the farmer producers to the Dunbia abattoir at Llanybydder, had been key to this contract, Mr Fourrier said. “Our main objective now is to maintain this position. Monoprix has been a strong supporter of Welsh lamb.”

He said Dunbia was committed to the export market in France with three people employed in its office there.

The Agneau Presto campaign has just been renewed for another three years to build on the success achieved so far, but it hasn’t been easy to convince French farmers of an approach that involves promoting competitors’ lamb.

French farmers regularly place stickers on meat sold in supermarkets that has been produced outside France to indicate that the product has been imported.

“We have farmers in France who have a very short-term approach to business; they don’t care whether consumers are still buying lamb in 10 years, they only care about their sales right now,” Mr Fourrier admitted. “We feel it is very important to work together for the future of the industry, whatever the country of origin.”

Hybu Cig Cymru’s chief executive Gwyn Howells said Sial represented an important exhibition for maintaining brand awareness. “Hybu Cig Cymru has worked hard with all sections of the Welsh red meat chain to increase exports and it is extremely satisfying to see that work paying off,” he said.

“Our aim at Sial is to reinforce our brand values with the international community, maintaining contracts with existing retailers and seeking new countries and companies to do business with.”