Farmers are warning they will have to pivot away from sheep farming as the number of breeding ewes in the UK has hit the lowest figure in living memory. Agricultural analysts said lamb and mutton consumption has fallen to its lowest point over the last five decades, with farmers shifting away from sheep farming to stay afloat. Recently agreed trade deals with New Zealand and Australia, which eliminate tariffs and give producers in both countries large quotas on the amount of lamb they can export into the UK, are having an impact on sheep farming. While globally, lamb consumption is expected to grow by 15 per cent between now and 2032, changing tastes in Great Britain are having an effect on the agricultural market. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say General Manager at the Craven Cattle Mart in Skipton, North Yorkshire, Jeremy Eaton said there has been a noticeable drop in the market since he started almost five decades ago. He told the BBC: "We'd have some sales at this market where we'd regularly be selling 19,000 store lambs...Now we're fortunate if we get to 8,000 or 9,000." Hayley Baines, a 39-year-old sheep farmer from Gisburn in the Ribble Valley added: "You can see here today, most of the generation of farmers are over 60...There [aren't] many young ones because there's better options." James Foster, a beef and sheep farmer on the Bolton Abbey Estate for 30 years said: "Going forward, do I see a future? I'm not sure where we're going with it...I do believe the government don't want us, but people have to eat and we just have to adapt with that." Changes in the British diet has been cited as one of the main reasons for the decline. Experts said mutton is no longer eaten in the same volume it was by previous generations, with lamb going from a weekly staple to something more often eaten on special occasions. In 1980, the average UK household purchased 128g of sheep meat per person, per week. However, in 2024 that same measure was down to 23g per person, per week. The national flock is also falling, down to 30.4 million sheep in 2025, numbers last seen in the mid-20th Century, when the British population was smaller. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Dougie Beattie challenges Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister after branding him and GB News 'unserious' WATCH: Northern Ireland farm accused of poor animal welfare as whistleblower speaks to GB News 'I'm fighting to survive!' Farmer despairs at 'sticking plaster' U-turn ahead of Spring Statement The nature of the flock can also pose an issue for farmers, with sheep farming gaining a reputation for being one of the most difficult to master. One former shepherd told the BBC sheep are only ever trying to do one of three things: "Escape, or die, or escape and then immediately die." Neil Heseltine, whose family have worked on Hill Top Farm, on the hillside of Malhamdale in the Yorkshire Dales, for four generations, has gone from a peak of over 800 lambing sheep to just 45 this spring. He said: "I dread to think where the farm would have been financially had we not started to make those changes. I either continued along the sheep-farming route because of sentimentality or made bold decisions." However, experts suggested the domestic market for sheep meat is going to be supported, in large part thanks to demand from the British Muslim population. Data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) suggests that 80 per cent of halal consumers eat lamb on a weekly basis and 64 per cent eat mutton weekly. By contrast, only six per cent of the general UK population eats lamb each week. While Muslims make up around 6.5 per cent of the UK population, they account for 30 per cent of lamb sales annually. Lamb is often Muslim consumers' meat of choice for family occasions and festivals like Ramadan and Eid, while mutton is a popular ingredient in curries and stews. Some also welcomed the decline in sheep farming. Mimi Bekhechi, senior vice president at the UK's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), said: "Fewer sheep means less suffering..a sheep's life in the wool and mutton industries belies our reputation as a nation of animal lovers," say The UK's Climate Change Committee has also previously advised the Government to encourage people to cut the amount of meat and dairy they consume, to combat climate change. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter