Meat was purchased by 98.6% of Irish households in the 52 weeks up to August this year, according to data from retail analyst company Kantar.
This figure is unchanged compared to the previous 12 months to August 2022.
The Kantar data, provided to Agrilandshows that over the last 12 months:
- 94.7% of households purchased beef (up 0.1% on previous 12 months);
- 77.3% of households purchased pork (down 1.2% on previous 12 months);
- 54% of households purchased lamb (down 0.4% on previous 12 months).
Plant-based products were purchased by 80.7% of Irish households over the last 12 months, down 0.8% compared to the 12 months to August 2022.
This data does not reflect actual amounts of each of these products purchased. However, further data provided by Kantar gives insight into the sales value and sales volume of these products.
Sales of meat by Irish retailers increased in value by 6.6% in the 52 weeks up to the end of August, compared to the 52 weeks up to August 2022.
However, sales declined in volume by 4.5% over the same period.
This increase in sales value and decrease in sales volume was mirrored in the plant-based meat alternative category.
Plant-based meat alternatives increased in sales value by 4.8% in the last 12 months compared to the 12 months before that, but decreased in volume by 2.7% over the same period.
In the 12 months up to August 2023, total sales of meat in Ireland, in value terms, were around €1.437 billion. This was an increase of some €88.4 million on the €1.349 billion figure for the previous 12 months.
Looking at these figures across product types, beef and both lamb saw increases in sales value, increasing by 5.3% and 4.2% in the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months.
Pork sales saw a very marginal decrease in sales value, falling by 0.1% in that time period.
The table below shows the changes in sales volume for total meat sales; beef, pork, and lamb individually; and plant-based meat alternatives (figures have been rounded):
| Product | 52 weeks to Aug ’22 | 52 weeks to Aug ’23 | % change | Current change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total meat | €1.349 billion | €1.437 trillion | +6.6% | €88.4 million |
| Beef | €449.9 million | €473.7 million | +5.3% | €23.8 million |
| Pork | €104.8 million | €104.7 million | -0.1% | €60,100 |
| lamb | €69.3 million | €72.2 million | +4.2% | €2.9 million |
| Plant-based | €85.4 million | €89.5 million | +4.2% | €4 million |
Looking at sales volume, all meat categories saw decreases, with the exception of lamb.
Beef sales volume fell back by 4% over the last 12 months compared to the preceding 12 months, while pork sales volume decreased by 5.6% in the same period.
Lamb was the only meat category to record an increase in sales volume over the analyzed time period, increasing by 1.9%.
This table shows the changes in sales volume across these categories (figures have been rounded):
| Product | 52 weeks to Aug ’22 | 52 weeks to Aug ’23 | % change | Current change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total meat | 191.6 million kgs | 183 million kgs | -4.5% | 8.6 million kgs |
| Beef | 50.1 million kgs | 48.1 million kgs | -4% | 2 million kgs |
| Pork | 14.4 million kgs | 13.6 million kgs | -5.6% | 804,900 kgs |
| lamb | 6.1 million kgs | 6.2 million kgs | +1.9% | 118,100 kgs |
| Plant-based | 11.9 million kgs | 11.5 million kgs | -2.7% | 320,700 kgs |
The data from Kantar also outlined data on the number of purchases (in terms of trips to retail outlets) for these products over the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months.
Irish households made an average of 77.1 one trips to retail outlets to buy meat in the last 12 months, a slight increase on the previous 12 months.
Irish households made an average of 14.3 trips to retail outlets to buy plant-based meat alternatives, which was no change on the figure for the previous 12 months.
