Sheep Producers Australia undertook a trade and market investigation trip to the US in February.
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The US is Australia's second-largest lamb market, with more than $700 million worth of sheep meat a year exported to the US.
A delegation of SPA board members and staff were invited to the American Sheep Industry (ASI) Convention.
The US sheep industry is concerned by a high percentage of lamb being imported, predominantly from Australia and New Zealand.
Trade has become a political weapon, so being able to engage with the American industry is increasingly important for Australia to protect its market access and share. Good relationships have been built in the past five years and they do count, as they can influence political representatives in Washington.
The trip was also an important step in the development of the next Meat Industry Strategic Plan (MISP), in particular learning about current and emerging food trends. There are many rapidly emerging changes, including millennials now being the largest consumer group in America. They think about food very differently compared to older generations.
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 the consumption of alternative proteins.
The sheep industry needs to engage more to ensure it understands the thinking, because it will determine the major products people will eat and what needs to be exported.
Discussions with wholesale supermarkets and major food service companies, including Costco, Sysco and Wholefood Supermarkets, also provided valuable insights. These companies play a major part in the US food market and often provide consumers with their first exposure to lamb.
Delegates also attended the Lamb and Culinary Medicine Workshop to investigate the role lamb can play in a healthy lifestyle and approaches to international consumption trends.
The consumption patterns of Americans are very different. The national food appears to be burgers and chips, with about 50 per cent of beef consumed this way.
There are less than five million sheep in America. Overall, Americans eat very little lamb in comparison to Australians. The two opportunities to increase consumption are through select immigrant groups who are used to lamb and those in the 18-35 age bracket.
- Graham Smith is the SPA chief executive officer.
