A £1.4m promotional push will be launched to increase consumer appetite for lamb and boost support for the sheep sector.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB's) marketing campaign, which has the backing of the National Farmers' Union, will involve two bursts of promotional activity, the first starting in summer and the second in September, to coincide with peak supply of British lamb.

The work aims to stem the steady decline in lamb sales and boost consumer attitudes towards the meat across a number of different target audiences.

AHDB will be liaising closely with retailers and food service outlets to coordinate the approach to promoting the sheep sector in the coming months.

Will Jackson, AHDB beef and lamb sector strategy director, said: "AHDB has been working for some months to see how best we can support the sheep sector in the face of uncertainty.

"Though outcomes are still unclear, we're focusing our marketing efforts on sheep for the forthcoming seasons to ensure lamb is at the forefront of consumers' minds - coinciding with the availability of autumn lamb for shoppers. This will mean efforts being concentrated on delivering a lamb advertising and promotional campaign in summer and September 2019."

Christine Watts, AHDB chief officer for communications and market development, added: "This exciting new AHDB campaign aims to reignite consumers' love of lamb and make it relevant for their lifestyles by highlighting its superior taste and versatility."

The campaign will use methods including large format outdoor posters, press adverts and social media channels to reach its target audiences.