Romanian shepherds expect to slaughter up to 2.5 million lambs during Easter holidays this year, and for prices to stay similar to the ones last year.

“I think that about 2 - 2.5 million lambs will be slaughtered this year, fewer than last year, because people have less money. Around 3 million lambs were slaughtered last year. The person that once bought an entire lamb, now buys only half, and who purchased a half, now buys a quarter,” Ioan Campeanu, president of the Sheep Breeders Federation in Romania - Romovis, told local Agerpres.

He added that Romanians prefer lambs with a weight of 9 to 10 kg, but not over 12 kg, while the Italians, for example, buy lambs with a lower weight, of some 6 kg.

During this period, Romanian shepherds export only to Greece and Italy, Turkey remaining a market blocked for exports of Romanian sheep.

“We expect to sell 1 - 1.5 million sheep abroad in this period, but it depends only on the request,” said Campeanu, cited by Agerpres.

The sheep livestock currently amounts to 10 million animals, according to Campeanu.

Lamb meat is used for traditional Easter dishes in Romania. A Romanian family will prepare lamb soup, lamb steak and lamb haggis (or drob de miel in Romanian) for this special day.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com