Springtime sheep. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Commodity watch by policy officer Kellie Rouse
Love Lamb Week runs from Sunday 1 – Saturday 7 September 2024, an annual event celebrated across the UK. Our aim is to promote the sustainability of Northern Ireland sheep production and to remind consumers of the exceptional taste and quality that NI lambs bring to the table.
Unfortunately in NI, lamb is sometimes overlooked. However, this campaign is about encouraging people to try lamb in the hope that it will inspire consumers to include lamb in their diet on a more regular basis.
During the past week, the UFU has been involved in several social media campaigns to support Love Lamb Week. Check out the UFU social media pages for further information.
Delivering for everyone
This time of year, marts and factories are at peak season for sales and production of spring lamb. NI farmers will be preparing for the winter, selling store and fat lambs to free up grass for the start of the breeding season again, and for some farmers, particularly Dorset sheep farms, they will be commencing lambing.
Sheep farmers work tirelessly 365 days of the year to produce top quality lamb for consumers across the world. Sheep farmers not only deliver a world class food product, but they are also contributing to sustaining rural communities, managing land for the good of the environment, improving biodiversity, sequestering carbon and contributing to the wider economy of NI.
Nutritional benefits
Lamb is a highly nutritious, rich source of protein for consumers that helps muscle growth and health. Lamb contains vitamins and minerals, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and selenium, that supports good health and wellbeing.
Iron and Vitamin B12 are essential for red blood cell production and oxygen transport which helps to prevent anemia. Lamb can help reduce tiredness and fatigue by providing B6, B12, niacin and pantothenic acid which are needed for energy metabolism. Lambs in NI are predominately grass fed lamb which will contain omega three fats that contribute to a healthy heart.
Despite the many benefits of lamb, consumption continues to decline across the UK. For many consumers they are less familiar with how to cook lamb. However, thanks to LMC and AHDB, there is a wide range of tasty and easy to cook recipes available online.
Looking to the future, more knowledge is required for the consumer to learn how to cook lamb, be it on the packaging or in media campaigns.
Buy local lamb
The UFU would ask all farmers to encourage friends and family this weekend to either purchase NI FQAS lamb for a home cooked meal or while dining out, opt for a lamb dish. By doing so, you are helping to support our hard working sheep farmers who thrive to produce world class, top quality lamb. We would also encourage everyone, if a NI FQAS label is not present on the product or menu, to always ask if the lamb is NI FQAS. This shows support for our NI farmers and ensures you are purchasing a product that has been produced to the highest standards.
For inspiration on some delicious lamb recipes please visit https://www.beefandlambni.com/recipes/.
