Lamb Report: Quarterly report shows positive trends in American lamb industry
Each year, Midan Marketing provides the American Lamb Board (ALB) with quarterly reports on the sales performance of lamb within the contiguous U.S.
In June, the agency released its 2025 Quarter One (Q1) Lamb Report, which compares lamb sales from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025.
Although numbers remained relatively flat year-over-year, the report predicts several positive trends and continued success for the American lamb industry.
Key market findings
Midan reports overall sales of both domestic and imported lamb dipped 1.4 percent and volume sales fell three percent.
“Surprisingly, this decrease in national sales can be solely and entirely attributed to the Northeast,” reads the report. “The Northeast experienced a 9.5 percent decrease in dollar sales of lamb and a stunning 14.6 percent decrease in volume sales of lamb between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.”
The report goes on to note, if it had not been for the Northeast, overall U.S. lamb sales would have actually seen an increase in both dollar and volume sales.
Of notable importance, American lamb outgrew overall lamb sales, with a 1.2 percent dip in dollar sales but an increase of 0.4 percent in volume sales.
Midan also emphasizes the fact that the 13-week period comprising Q1 2025 does not include Easter, as it did in 2024. Since Easter is a major season for lamb sales, this means Q1 2024 and Q1 2025 are not quite of equal comparison, and the fact Q1 2025 sales were on par with the previous year despite not including Easter sales “speaks volumes,” Midan says.
Sales by cut
When breaking the data down by cut, Midan reports leg roasts and racks were responsible for the majority of the decline in dollar sales of lamb in the first quarter of the year.
Racks had a 4.4 percent decrease in dollar sales and an 8.1 percent decrease in pounds sold, while leg roasts had a four percent decrease in dollar sales and a 6.3 percent decrease in pounds sold.
While loin chops saw a slight increase in dollar sales, they also sharply declined in volume sales, to the tune of 6.4 percent. Midan contributes this to a sharp increase in average price, as loin chops jumped 7.8 percent from $7.74 per pound in Q1 2024 to $8.35 per pound in Q1 2025.
“Loin chops also helped drive the decrease in overall volume sales, accounting for more than one-half of the total decrease in pounds of lamb sold in Q1 2025,” reads the report.
On the contrary, ground lamb had an enormous surge in sales, skyrocketing 17.2 percent in terms of dollars and 19.2 percent in terms of pounds sold between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.
In fact, the middle two weeks of March were the best-selling weeks of ground lamb in history, even outselling weeks of peak demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Midan reports sirloins, blade chops and ingredient cuts saw notable growth in sales as well.
Sales by market
On the domestic front, a few major markets witnessed growth in sales – Houston, Denver and Atlanta.
Midan notes Houston grew the most in terms of dollar sales with an increase of 7.8 percent, while Atlanta saw the most growth in volume sales with an increase of 6.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Boston and New York saw sharp declines in both dollar sales, which fell 11 percent and 7.3 percent respectively, as well as pounds sold with respective decreases of 14.9 percent and 13.3 percent.
Midan further reports the average price of lamb increased across nearly every major U.S. market between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, excluding Atlanta, which saw prices fall more than 20 cents, or 2.5 percent, from $8.47 per pound to $8.26 per pound.
Midan’s data shows Miami remains the most affordable market, reporting prices at $7.47 per pound, while Boston and New York are the most expensive markets, with prices upwards of $8.60 per pounds.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
