Australian sheep producers are watching the trends in the US market
Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) recently undertook an international trade and market investigation trip to the US to observe the newest trends that are emerging in this market. The US is Australia’s second-largest lamb market, with over $700 million worth of sheepmeat per year exported to the US per year.
The US sheep industry is concerned by a high percentage of lamb being imported, fundamentally from Australia and New Zealand. Trade has become a political weapon, so being able to engage with the American industry and having the voice of Australian farmers heard is important for Australia to protect its market access and share, according to SPA.
The delegation included SPA CEO Graham Smith, Board Chair Chris Mirams and Board Director Jamie Heinrich and their visit was an important step in developing the next Meat Industry Strategic Plan (MISP), to be developed later this year, by learning about current and emerging food trends.
"There are rapidly emerging changes, including millennials now being the largest consumer group in America and they are thinking differently about food compared to many of their parents. Snacking and eating on-the-go is driving the development of new convenient products, including semi-prepared meals. Many are also more adventurous in their food choices, including alternative proteins. So we need to engage more to understand how they are thinking and behaving, more so than the past, because it will determine the major products they will eat and what we need to export,", explained Graham Smith.
With a large number of Americans doing very little cooking, their first experience with lamb is probably at the restaurant and that is something that must be taken in consideration for the next Meat Industry Strategic Plan (MISP). "It is important to recognise that American’s attitude to food is very different from ours. Their consumption patterns are very different, with their national food appearing to be burgers and chips, with about 50% of American beef consumed this way", added Mr Smith.
The two distinct opportunities to increase consumption are through select immigrant groups who are used to lamb, and those in the 18-35 age bracket.
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