Minister's lamb meat statistics questioned

Statistics on lamb meat prices presented by Minister of Industry Hanna Katrín Friðriksson in a Facebook post appear to lack factual basis. Friðriksson used these figures to advocate for continued EU accession talks in an upcoming referendum.

“

I don't know what group she is addressing. She is likely addressing consumers rather than farmers.

In her post, Friðriksson claimed that since the exemption of slaughterhouses from competition laws in March 2024, lamb meat prices in stores have increased by 17% over the past three years, with farmers receiving 8.5% of this increase. She urged voters to find better solutions, linking this to the referendum.

However, data from Statistics Iceland shows a different picture. Since the changes to the agricultural product laws in March 2024, the general price level (consumer price index) has risen by 11.2%, and the price of lamb meat in stores by 11.5%. During the same period, prices received by farmers increased by 12.3%.

“

People are free to do what they want in an election campaign, but I dislike it when they use incorrect figures. I would have liked sources to be mentioned.

Eyjólfur Ingvi Bjarnason, head of the sheep farmers' division at the Farmers' Association, expressed surprise at Friðriksson's post. He stated he was unsure who the minister was addressing but suggested she was likely appealing to consumers rather than farmers. Bjarnason noted that while people are free to campaign as they wish, he dislikes seeing incorrect figures used and would have preferred sources to be cited. He added that while he does not consider it ideal for a minister to use inaccurate numbers, he has observed various tactics during the election campaign.

“

I don't consider it good, but one has seen all sorts of things in this election campaign, so people seem to do all sorts of things.