Lamb Prices Soar in Spain: Drought, Exports, and Inflation Squeeze Market

The price of lamb meat "has stabilized at a high level. It is not going down because they are taking two boats a week with live calves and lambs to Arab countries for slaughter," explains a seller at the central market in Valencia, one of the largest in Spain, to El Debate. The situation has worsened after King Mohammed VI, in a message published in February, invited Moroccans to "refrain from performing the ritual of Eid al-Adha this year" due to the perverse effects of the persistent drought on the national herd.

The seller also emphasizes the ineffectiveness of the government’s policy to support the sector in this crisis. "Everything has gone up and everything will go up. They have to control inflation and they don’t. And that affects everything," he denounces. He also mentions the Agenda 2030 currently being implemented. According to him, this program "does not contribute to a change on the ground". "Many obstacles complicate things. People who cannot afford to eat lamb are excluded from the market," explains the Valencia seller.

He adds: "In all policies, it is the producer who pays the highest price," because "if he fails to sell, he will have to do so below the cost price." Faced with this situation, the seller recommends "reducing bureaucracy and letting livestock professionals work freely." "They know how to raise a sheep so that it is born on December 20th. They are able to generate activity," he notes, noting that "mid-range restaurants are replacing lamb with other products".