Mexico and the Caribbean driving soaring demand for U.S. lamb

by | Jul 4, 2022 | 5 Ag Stories, News

U.S. lamb exports so far in 2022 are 49% over the previous year by volume. Export value during that same period climbed 76% to nearly $10 million. While much of the growth is in variety meat exports to Mexico, the Caribbean is the largest destination for U.S. lamb muscle cuts. Liz Wunderlich, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Caribbean representative, offers insights into the region’s strong appetite for U.S. lamb.

?We are an area that does a lot of lamb and a lot of that is our British influences that are there, so all of my British islands- Bermuda, Caymans, Antigua, Bahamas- they all are big lamb eaters,? Wunderlich said. ?So, we go in with the idea of how we can position American lamb where we have some supply issues, we don’t have nearly the numbers, I mean, we’re 1/4 the amount of lamb that’s grown in say New Zealand.?

Wunderlich said the Caribbean has been driving demand for high-quality muscle cuts while Mexico remains the largest market for U.S. lamb, largely buying variety meat.

?I look at cuts where we’re not in this commodity mentality,? Wunderlich said. ?You know, where I’m not going, ?Okay, what’s New Zealand, Australia racks versus U.S. racks?? Well, we’re going to be twice as easy. So, we look at things like Denver ribs and lamb shanks and bellies and cuts- the loin, the French loin chop, things that are a little out of the normal frozen inventory that they’re getting from New Zealand and Australia and say, ?How can we pick that out?? And at the retail level, how can we maybe introduce things like ground lamb in a one pound pack that is an affordable alternative and it gives us that that opportunity? I like to use the word that the U.S. is the Lamborghini of the industry. You know, everybody else is a Ford and Chevrolet, we’re a Lamborghini, and if you want quality and you want, you know something very special that differentiates your menu from your competition, come to us.?

Complete January-April export results for U.S. pork, beef, and lamb are available from USMEF?s statistics web page.