Korea’s rising appetite for sheepmeat

07 February 2012

Korea imported 4,992 tonnes swt of sheepmeat in 2011, an increase of 19% year-on-year and the highest annual imported volume on record (KITA). The growth in imports for the past year was largely driven by rising volumes of Australian lamb.

Australian sheepmeat accounted for almost 85% of total Korean imports in 2011, while NZ product made up the remaining 15%. While Korea does not discriminate between lamb and mutton (referring only to sheepmeat), Australian export figures showed that 75% of total Australian shipments consisted of lamb and 25% mutton (DAFF). Australian lamb exports to Korea have increased 177% in the last decade, with mutton volumes increasing 25%.

The Korea Times reported that the numbers of Chinese and Middle Eastern restaurants are on the rise in Korea, with consumers developing an appetite for sheepmeat. For 2011, E-mart reported a 120% annual increase in sales, but also commented that lamb remains a specialty item in Korea, and demand is driven mostly by repeat customers who were originally exposed to lamb dishes in overseas markets (Korea Times).

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