Romanian sheep farmers face crisis as live‑animal export ban forces carcass sales

Romania has barred the export of live sheep to the EU and third‑country markets until 10 August in response to disease outbreaks. Farmers can only move animals to slaughterhouses, leading to a record 700 000 sheep carcasses sold – a 3.5‑fold increase over the previous high and seven times the usual lower bound. The volume still falls far short of the pre‑ban export of more than 2 million live animals, and the price gap (≈ 4.5 €/kg live vs 6‑7 €/kg carcass) offers little relief. Constanța Ștefan, president of the "Țara Loviștei" breeders’ association, warned that without a solution the sector risks bankruptcies and that “animals could die of hunger” as feed shortages loom, especially in drought‑hit regions. The ban, intended to contain disease, has thus shifted pressure onto limited carcass‑processing capacity and threatens the livelihoods of shepherds into the winter season.

The association urges rapid EU inspection to lift the restriction, emphasizing that the current measures are insufficient to sustain the industry.