Coronavirus fails to put brakes on China's taste for Aussie lamb

China imported 7086 tonnes of lamb during the month, up six per cent on March.

However China's mutton imports dipped by 19pc to 4584t.

Overall, Australia's global shipments of lamb and mutton both nosedived in April but the slide coincided with a squeezing of supply due mainly to flock rebuilding.

Sheepmeat exports declined by 15pc to 32,718 tonnes in April which Meat and Livestock Australia described as modest volumes considering the arrival of the Ramadan festive season across the Moslem world.

MLA said China has eased Covid-19 social distancing restrictions in March with businesses including restaurants starting to resume operations.

Red meat remained a popular protein that many Chinese consumers looked for during the outbreak of Covid-19 due to its perceived health benefits such as supporting overall health and boosting immunity.

Ramadan started on April 24 and will end on May 23 however most Moslems around the world are quietly celebrating one of their major religious events because of Covid-19 lockdowns.

Red meat exports typically spike during the annual Ramadan period.

Lamb exports Malaysia, a large Moslem nation, dropped by 67pc to just 385t in April while mutton shipments slumped by 88pc to 208t.

Lamb sales to the United States also declined in April by 12pc to 4755t but mutton imports remained steady at 1167t.

Covid-19 has seriously disrupted meat supply chains and purchases by cash-strapped consumers around the world.

In response the Australian Government has introduced an international freight assistance mechanism to help export premium red meat products to major destinations like China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE.

Eleven of Australia's top 15 most valuable red meat export markets are expected to enter recession in 2020, creating a range of potential challenges for sheepmeat exports in the vent of a rapid flock rebuild.