IMPORTED New Zealand lamb is becoming a year-round competitor to British reared meat, the UK sheep industry has warned.

Improved farming methods are enabling Antipodean sheep farmers to extend their season to challenge home produced lamb throughout the year, according to the National Sheep Association (NSA).

Its chairman, Levens-based farmer John Geldard, said the NSA had held talks with food retailers, urging them to only consider buying imported lamb from New Zealand when British lamb was not in season.

“Some retailers are listening and trying to support British farmers,” said Mr Geldard. “However, some are not and we need to hold them to account on this issue.”

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “Most sheep in the UK lamb over a four-month period in the spring and many come to the market between July and December — this is our seasonal harvest where availability and quality come together.

“This is why New Zealand lamb has for many years complemented our market. They lamb at the opposite time of the year to us and their peak should, in theory, complement our trough. But as with other foods, new techniques are used to extend seasons.

“We are therefore seeing New Zealand lamb appear on our shelves throughout the year and sadly, for profit reasons alone, some of our main retailers are choosing to sell products they can make a bigger margin on.

“Once one big retailer does this the others follow like sheep. It is very disappointing to see this lack of interest in quality and such a short-sighted approach to supply chains.”