UK sheepmeat production witnessed a 12% (2,330t) increase year-on-year for the month of May.
Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows that the UK produced 21,300t of sheepmeat in May.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said that the UK lamb kill for the month of May reached 924,000 head.
This represents an increase of 93,000 head or 11% compared to last year, and an increase of 4% on 2020 levels.
Furthermore, an average carcase weight of 20.4kg/head was seen, which is up 400g from the same time last year.
The AHDB added that increased slaughter is the main driver for the year-on-year production increase.
Looking at the ewe kill, 82,600 head was processed in May. This was a 5% or 3,900 head rise from last year, the AHDB noted.
Lastly, year-to-date, sheep throughput figures are currently standing at 4.74 million head. This is 11% more than up to the same period in 2021.
In terms of production for the year, it stands at 122,500t – up 13% than at the same point in 2021.
The AHDB noted that there are some questions about last year’s official data, which may understate production, particularly in the second half of the year.
