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Demand for lamb saw a boost during the pandemic

The sheep industry continues its recovery efforts following disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic.

Spence Rule with the Colorado Lamb Processors says if there was one positive about the pandemic, it was the increase in consumption of lamb at home. “It has people back home cooking and trying new products,” he says.  “Lamb has been on the forefront of that.  We got a lot of exposure through this pandemic that we may not have gotten if it was business as usual.”

Rick Scott CEO of Superior Farms says lamb got an additional boost from grocery stores at the start of the pandemic.  “Lamb was there often times when everything else wasn’t,” he says.  “To some degree, it forced the consumer to take a risk.  Let’s diversify – they’re tired of Hamburger Helper all day long, so they’re going to try something different.” Scott says retailers reported a surge in first-time lamb purchasers in April and May and strong levels of return customers since then.

Rule and Scott made their comments during the 2021 virtual American Sheep Industry Annual Convention.