Alliance Group, New Zealand’s largest sheepmeat processor and exporter, will be supplying a Spanish supermarket chain, Mercadona, directly with lamb, thanks to a new deal that will see the meat going direct into retail, without any intermediary steps. Mercadona has over 1400 stores across Spain and accounts for 26.5 percent share of the food retail market. Alliance will be providing the chain with frozen lamb under its brand Pure South, especially cuts for barbequeing, with plans to expand into larger cuts later.
Meanwhile, the UK National Sheep Association has opened up to the idea of improving consumption and revenue of lambmeat by working in cooperation with New Zealand sheep farmers, rather than putting up barriers. Over the past 20 years, consumption has faced a decline in UK due to competition from cheaper meat options and, according to Phil Stocker, chief executive of the UK National Sheep Association, British and New Zealanders could potentially team up to promote lamb as alternative to poultry and pork.
NZ LAMB TO THE CONQUEST OF EUROPE
