British pork will be heading to Chile this month, to complete the first commercial export order since market access was granted in March 2022.
The new agreement granted access for 27 UK pork processing sites to export to Chile, with AHDB estimating that the market access could be worth up to £20 million in the first five years of trade.
The UK pork processor Cranswick is currently preparing its first shipments to Chile, which will depart from the processor’s Preston plant in Hull, in the coming week.
A Cranswick spokesperson said: “We have received our first order for British pork which will be shipped to a customer in Chile this month.”
“As the largest processor of pork in the UK, it is imperative we continue to have access to new and emerging international markets, and we welcome this access agreement between the UK and Chile. We continue to work closely with AHDB to identify and develop new market opportunities.”
AHDB, Defra and the UK Export Certification Partnership collaborated to secure access to the Chilean market, as they did to secure market access to the Mexican market also.
The Mexican market access was secured late in 2021; an agreement that is believed to be worth up to £50 million for pork producers within the first five years of trade.
AHDB’s international market development director Dr Phil Hadley said: “We are delighted to see the first shipments of pork heading to Chile following the market access win earlier in the year.”
“Chilean consumers will now be able to enjoy pork from the UK, and our exporters have access to another important and growing market, bringing a much-needed boost to the UK’s pork sector.”
“As part of our strategy, AHDB will continue to identify new opportunities overseas and work with government to help our red meat processors export more products around the world,” Dr Hadley concluded.