The Greek meat market is confronting a crisis that threatens to drive up prices and complicate supply lines, particularly as the August 15 celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary approaches. The issue is compounded by an outbreak of sheep and goat plague, which has affected several regions and is leading to increased imports from neighboring countries.
Currently, Greece’s meat market is heavily reliant on lambs, goats, and sheep imported from Romania and Spain. Romania, in particular, has also been grappling with a significant plague outbreak. This has caused a noticeable spike in prices, which are considerably higher than last year.
Greek sheep and goats have been largely absent from wholesale markets due to stringent measures imposed since late July. These restrictions include a ban on the movement and slaughter of domestic livestock to curb the disease.
Despite a nationwide ban on slaughtering Greek livestock, imports of meat from “clean” regions in Romania remain permissible, which has sparked concern among Greek farmers.
The vice president of the Greek Livestock Association, voiced frustration, stating, “Romania claims it is exporting meat from its ‘clean areas’, but here in Greece, we can’t even slaughter from our own clean regions, to supply local butchers.”
The goat plague, first detected on July 11 in Thessaly and now spreading across Greece, has seen 18,335 sheep and goats culled or scheduled for culling as of August 7, 2024. With restrictive measures expected to remain in place until at least Sunday, the availability of local lamb and goat meat for the August 15 celebrations is uncertain.
This year’s heightened demand for lamb and goat meat, particularly in August, traditionally sees a reliance on imports due to local sheep and goats being in their lactation period, which limits slaughter rates.
However, the ongoing plague and the accompanying restrictive measures have disrupted this cycle, leading to minor shortages at the wholesale level. Romanian lamb is currently priced between 9.50 and 11 euros per kilogram, while Spanish lamb is even pricier, ranging from 9.70 to 11.20 euros per kilogram.
Producers and consumers alike are bracing for further impacts. There are fears that some may exploit the crisis to profiteer, exacerbating the financial strain on both farmers and households. As the market becomes increasingly dependent on imports, the risk of shortages could escalate.
