Northern Ireland lamb returns to US market after rule change

The US market is expected to be worth about £37m to British exporters in the first five years

Northern Ireland lamb is back on the menu in the United States of America from Monday.

Restrictions on UK imports, in place for more than 20 years, were lifted last month.

That came after the US Department of Agriculture amended its Small Ruminant Rule (SRR) to allow trade to recommence.

The US market is expected to be worth about £37m to British exporters in the first five years.

There are about 10,000 sheep flocks in Northern Ireland, encompassing about a million ewes.

They are mainly farmed for their meat, although milk and wool are also produced.

'Sheep farmers will be pleased'

The Ulster Farmers Union described the US change as "quite significant".

"Sheep farmers will be pleased, every new market is a bonus for them," deputy president William Irwin said.

"Boris Johnson, the prime minister, met with President Biden back in September, and this was one of his asks at that time, that UK sheep meat be allowed into the US.

"I don't think anybody thought that the response would have been as quick as this, but everybody's pleased to have this opportunity."

Conall Donnelly, the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters' Association, said it "won't make an immediate difference".

Conall Donnelly, of the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters' Association, said it was "another step along the way"

"But it is another step along the way, in terms of access," he added.

"It's all about adding another market, and it gives extra opportunities for processors to add value to farmers' produce and provide a better price, hopefully, in the long-run back to the farmer.

"The USA - it's not a massive market for lamb but it is a high value market."

The lifting of the ban follows the easing of rules on exports of British beef earlier last year.

While lamb has historically not been a meat of choice in the US, tastes are changing, thanks to the popularity of UK cooking programmes.

"The local UK and EU markets is still the closest market and still pivotal," Mr Irwin said.

"But having said that, market research in the US tells us that lamb consumption is growing as consumer trends change, so every market helps make the portfolio viable.

"The onus now is on DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) and our processors to put everything in place that this can be taken advantage of."