The value of Spanish sheep and goat meat exports experienced significant growth in 2024, with a 20% increase in sheep meat, reaching €558 million, and a 16% increase in goat meat, reaching €19 million. These data were analyzed in a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and the livestock sector, reflecting high foreign demand, especially from countries in the Middle East, in an international context marked by geopolitical and climatic instability.
Despite this growth in export value, total sheep and goat meat production in Spain remained stable in 2023, with a slight variation of -0.1%, reaching €1.183 billion.
Decline in Production in Spain and Europe
Currently, the sector represents 4.2% of total livestock production in our country. However, the downward trend in sheep numbers is worrying, with a 0.8% drop nationwide, a trend also seen across the European Union as a whole, where the decline reaches 4.5%.
This adjustment in supply has led to an increase in prices, reinforcing foreign market interest in small ruminant meat produced in Spain.
During the meeting, chaired by Elena Busutil, Director General of Agricultural Production and Markets, the provisional results of the 2024 CAP campaign were also discussed. In this regard, a reduction in the unit amounts of the eco-regimes was highlighted, resulting from the increase in eligible area, while subsidies associated with extensive and semi-extensive grazing increased by 1.8%. On the other hand, those aimed at farms that utilize stubble and fallow land have decreased slightly compared to the previous year.
The Ministry emphasized that the final unit amounts are higher than initially projected, and explained the new requirements for the eco-regimes for the current campaign.
These types of meetings are part of the ongoing monitoring work carried out by the Ministry in conjunction with professional organizations in the livestock sector, with the aim of adapting production to market challenges and current conditions.
