Finnish consumption of lamb and mutton rises sharply amid beef shortages

Finns consumed 15 percent more lamb and mutton last year compared to 2023, according to statistics from Kantar Agri, though the meat still accounts for less than one percent of total meat consumption in the country, reports Yle.

Total consumption reached 2.8 million kilograms in 2024, with 1.5 million kilograms being lamb. Industry representatives attribute the surge to rising beef prices, supply shortages, and Finland’s growing cultural diversity.

“Consumers have partly replaced beef with lamb and mutton,” said Mari Hannuksela, CEO of the Finnish Meat Industry Federation. Anniina Holopainen, head of the Finnish Sheep Producers’ Cooperative, added that beef prices have climbed to near-parity with lamb, while Finland’s increasingly multicultural population has driven demand for traditional meats.

Despite the uptick, per-capita consumption remains low—Finns eat an average of just half a kilogram annually, barely enough for a single meal. “The increase doesn’t even amount to one lamb dish per person per year,” Hannuksela noted.

Domestic production declines as imports grow
While demand has risen steadily, Finnish lamb production has fallen by up to 10 percent annually since 2018, dropping another 1 percent last year. Imports now account for 64 percent of mutton and 49 percent of lamb consumed in Finland, up 7 percent from 2023.

Holopainen acknowledged challenges in reversing the decline, citing profitability issues, labor intensity, stricter regulations, and an aging producer base. “Demand exists, but we’re struggling to retain producers,” she said. Finland currently sources lamb from New Zealand, Australia, the Baltics, and Poland, among others.

The cooperative aims to raise domestic self-sufficiency above 50 percent but concedes that full independence is unrealistic due to long production cycles. In November 2024, Yle reported that Finnish lamb production had already plummeted by 30 percent over five years.