QMS HIGHLIGHTS TRUE POTENTIAL OF SCOTLAND’S SHEEP MARKET
Strong demand at home and overseas could see Scotland’s sheep sector add around £77m in output and £21m in Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2032, according to economic modelling announced at Scotsheep 2026.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) made the presentation with support from the National Sheep Association (NSA) Scotland to hundreds of producers at the event, highlighting the Scottish supply gap from demographic change and increased consumer appetite for high-quality healthy protein equates to an additional 4.3k tonnes of sheep meat by 2032.
Achieving this extra volume of production would require Scotland’s lamb numbers to rise by 5%, which in practice is a few more ewes per holding each year for the next six years.
“Our research shows there is persistent strong demand for Scottish lamb and a significant opportunity to produce and process more at home,” said Kate Rowell, QMS Chair. “The market signals are encouraging, with stronger demand in the UK, a falling EU sheep flock, and a drop in lamb production in England. Combined with significant productivity gains in Scotland over the past decade, we have considerable scope to capture more value from the sector.”
Scotland’s natural climate and landscape further positions the country to support food security, economic growth and environmental outcomes.
The research also highlights an economic opportunity to retain more value in Scotland by making greater use of domestic processing capacity.
“Demand is strong, the market fundamentals are positive, and Scotland is well placed to respond,” added Rowell. “The focus now must be on capturing more of that value at home, supporting rural communities and helping drive sustainable economic growth.”
