MUTTON MEAT MARKET IN ROMANIA – A POST-ACCESSION ANALYSIS

The paper investigates the changes that have been produced in the sheep and goat meat sector in the pre- and post-accession period, from farm to trade and final consumption. In the year 2007, there was an obvious increase in the number of slaughtered animals and of meat production. This positive trend was supported by the direct payments received for the sheep and goat farms, as well as by the subsidies provided for sheep breeding in the direction of increasing the meat production. In the year 2007 the exports of live young rams increased, mainly to EU countries.