Price Fluctuation, Protected Geographical Indications and Employment in the Spanish Small Ruminant Sector during the COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

This work assesses milk and meat price fluctuations from small ruminants during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis in Spain, using o cial data provided by the Interprofessional Dairy Organization (InLaC) and a representative sample of agricultural markets fixing prices per kilogram of lamb and goat kid meat. Data showed a drop in meat and goat milk prices during the period of confinement, which is only maintained for goat milk over the three following months. Similarly, analysis of data from the most important production areas, involving three protected geographical indications (PGI) of lamb meat, suggested that this quality label had a beneficial e ect on sales and price stability in times of crisis. On the other hand, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Spanish labor market, the small ruminant sector did not seem to be a ected in terms of the number of workers when comparing the period before and after the pandemic. All these factors are of interest for producers when making decisions regarding the management of flocks and adapting their marketing strategies for a down market or unexpected volatile circumstances.