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Source: NZPA / Ross Setford -
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Just as British farmers began celebrating a 15% drop in New Zealand lamb being sent to the UK, New Zealand has launched a new assault on their market.
Meat and Wool New Zealand this week began promoting "NZ lamb week".
"These are very challenging times but it is still important for us to promote New Zealand lamb to UK consumers," said Meat and Wool NZ's UK market manager, John Mabb.
"Consumers may be looking towards more inexpensive foods, but we know they still value the quality, flavour and provenance of New Zealand lamb."
Last year about 20% of New Zealand's total sheepmeat exports went to the UK, accounting for 23% of export earnings from lamb, and in the year to December, 36.8% of all British households bought New Zealand lamb.
The promotion came just as Meat Promotion Wales marketing manager Bill Joyce told Welsh farmers they could look forward to a 15% drop in the amount of New Zealand lamb on the market this year.
"If Wales could fill New Zealand's production gap that would be good," said Joyce.
Even though the UK was in a recession, Joyce said that retail sales of lamb were still quite buoyant, with supermarket chains still looking for premium lamb.
He noted that shoppers were tending to buy more mince rather than larger joints for roasting.
"A lot less people are eating out," said Joyce. "But they are buying good food to take home to cook instead. Food seems to be a comfort factor in times of recession."
Farming UK reported Joyce also predicted that a weak exchange rate for the British pound would help with longer-term plans for the export of light lamb to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Meanwhile, Mabb said the industry was using press and online advertising to reinforce the provenance of New Zealand lamb and highlight its natural production in an ideal environment. It was also promoting a package of television programmes highlighting New Zealand lamb, and separately offering two trips to New Zealand in an online competition.
The 98,584 tonnes of lamb sent to the UK last year represented 43.6% of New Zealand lamb sent to EU countries, and a 31.4% share of the British retail lamb market.
The largest market for New Zealand sheepmeat remained the EU which took 45% of New Zealand exports by volume (424,316 tonnes) and accounted for 62% of earnings from export lambs.
