With live sheep exports to be phased out sheep meat producers will be looking for other markets. A new trade agreement with India along with its huge population has made exporting there an attractive option.
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00:00Agriculture is the lifeblood of millions in India.
00:06From the brightly clad women tending the fields or a lone shepherd leading his flock, the
00:12land has sustained their families for generations.
00:17India isn't short on volume when it comes to livestock, which the national census puts
00:22at around 74 million animals.
00:25With high rates of vegetarianism, not all are destined for the table, but that's changing.
00:32Look at that, that's perfectly cooked.
00:34It's so nicely cooked, it's so tender.
00:37And the spice is complementing the lamb.
00:39As general wealth is increased, so too has the appetite for meat.
00:45Restaurateurs have noticed falling vegetarianism, with younger people less wedded to traditional
00:51food, and increasingly influenced by movies and social media in their eating aspirations.
00:59And there's just so much more exposure, whether it's through personal travel, whether it's
01:03through TV, the number of cooking shows out there.
01:06So there's just so much exposure to food from all over the country, all over the world,
01:12and there's this curiosity to try it.
01:19Phil Agajanan is working the kitchen at The Table, in Mumbai, deemed one of the top restaurants
01:25globally.
01:27This is a lamb shank, just braised, pretty simply, with red wine, vegetables, tomatoes,
01:32risotto milanese, which has kashmiri saffron, so saffron from India, but done that way.
01:38The owners have been pioneers in fine dining.
01:41Returning to India in 2007, after years working abroad, they saw a glaring gap in the market.
01:49Fifteen years ago, there were very few stand-alone restaurants, most of the good food was relegated
01:56to the five-star hotels.
01:59Along with refined taste, their clientele are discerning not just about the quality
02:04of their food, but the origin as well.
02:07And in good news for sheep producers, the appetite for Australian lamb is growing.
02:13Lamb's definitely like the big meat seller here, and I think they definitely consider
02:18Australian lamb like a higher class lamb, maybe because it's imported, but also because
02:23they know the quality is consistent in heaven.
02:27While there is a shift towards eating local foods for sustainability purposes, if the
02:32quality is missing, imported options will always be the first choice.
02:36You can't sort of pull the wool over their eyes.
02:39Quality is in the choices, they're looking for the choices, they're looking for the quality.
02:42And they're willing to pay, I think, a premium if they get value.