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In 2020, the trading price of lamb to Swedish producers reached the beginning of SEK 60 per kilo. At the end of March, the price was SEK 62.30 per kilo, and although it has dropped a few dozen cents after that list, the National Farmers Association (LRF) believes a new record level will soon be reached.
“I think it happens any week. The price trend looks positive and it’s fun. It is also necessary that more people invest and that we can have more sheep and lambs in Sweden, ”says Viktoria Östlund, lamb expert at LRF.
The Swedish record list is SEK 63.32 from the end of May (week 21) last year.
“The price trend in recent years is due to increased demand for Swedish lamb and, unfortunately, also to lower supply. The lower supply is an effect of the drought we had in 2018, ”says Viktoria Östlund.
For the sheep farmers Jörgen and Piamaria Rasmusson on the Eksholmens farm, a little outside of Svedala, the drought became extremely noticeable two years ago. In economic terms, the loss amounted to almost SEK 500,000. Above all, however, they had to fight for access to food to ensure the health of the animals in their organic lamb farming.
“As an animal owner you have a great responsibility for another life. So it’s important to make sure the animals are fine and then get rid of it if it’s 20 degrees less or 40 degrees more, “says Jörgen Rasmusson and continues:
“After 2018, we have ensured that we have around a third of our food consumption in stock and have also reduced the herd. We have maintained the same level in 2019 ”.
Now he has the family business 400 sheep and this year 700 sheep are raised. There is the capacity to have 625 sheep and raise around 1,000 lambs.
“We couldn’t have had another year like 2018. So there was a waist and pants hinges to make sure we didn’t fall off. It is better that we go down instead of buying expensive food and going less, “says Jörgen Rasmusson.
The price increase they are allowed to participate in now is welcome and provides a future of faith.
“We need this money to cover 2018 and a low willingness to invest in animal husbandry,” he says.
In recent years, the Swede has eaten about 1.6–1.8 kilos of lamb per year, but compared to other types of meat it is highly imported. Swedish meat accounts for less than a third of total lamb consumption, compared to 55-75 percent for other types of meat.
“They are the countries with other production conditions with which we compete. It is New Zealand and Ireland that set the Swedish price for lamb. If we get out of this trap and consumers think that it is worth paying for Swedish premium meat with good animal husbandry and a good slaughter on the purchase, that can change, ”says Jörgen Rasmusson.
For example, in Sweden there are requirements for sheep farmers to have an animal stall. The Rasmusson family, which has had flocks of sheep for 18 years, invested in a 1,800-square-foot stable in the early 2010s.
“We are proud to have the best animal care in the world in Sweden. It is sufficient to take the car across the Öresund bridge for other legislation. In Denmark, for example, you don’t need to have a stable for your animals. This stable costs us around SEK 150 per lamb per year. It is a newly built stable in which both animals and keepers thrive and I have no regrets that we built it, ”says Jörgen Rasmusson.
LRF emphasizes that the current crown pandemic has increased demand for both Swedish lamb and other meat. One explanation is that people don’t eat as often in a restaurant, which has often imported meat.
“Now we buy more in stores and we are more careful with the origin when we buy directly from the supermarket. It is positive for the Swedish production that more people want to choose Swedish, ”says Viktoria Östlund.
Sheep rancher Jörgen Rasmusson sees it as the best rating he can get as a meat producer.
“Swedish premium meat is more expensive, but not that expensive. If consumers think paying 10-20 SEK more per kilo for Swedish lamb meat would mean a lot to us, “says Jörgen Rasmusson.
