UK exporters have been given international platforms in Asia and the United States to fly the flag for quality pork, beef and lamb.
Eight British businesses and AHDB are currently at FoodEx in Tokyo, one of Asia’s biggest food and drink exhibition, to promote local meat and grow exports to the region which were worth £12 million in 2023.
The four-day event runs until March 8, and is bringing thousands of buyers from Japan and the wider South East Asia region to the UK stall.
Around 100 industry stakeholders and representatives from the UK government attended a British Meat dinner on Monday March 4, and a British food and drink reception was held on Wednesday March 6.
Susan Stewart, AHDB senior trade development manager, said: “FoodEx is a key event in the export trade calendar, providing a pivotal role in helping our red meat exporters connect with buyers in this important market.
“While trading conditions have been challenging in the last year, Japan remains a strategic market as an importer of higher-value product and one where we are working hard with industry and government to develop further opportunities for our high-quality red meat.
See also: The best of British red meat and dairy celebrated in Hong Kong
AHDB has also announced that red meat exporters from the UK will attend the Annual Meat Conference (AMC) in Tennessee to showcase the quality and sustainability of UK meat.
Three of the export businesses are listed to export pig meat to California further to the state’s introduction of new legislation Proposition 12 at the start of this year.
The exhibition will take place in Nashville from March 18 – 20, where AHDB will share a joint stand with Hybu Cig Cymru [Meat Promotion Wales], giving US retailers a chance to sample UK pork, beef and lamb.
AHDB’s prospects for UK agri-food exports analysis shows opportunities for local pork are expected to increase in the US, offering opportunities for premium product with high welfare levels being a key factor.
Susana Morris, AHDB senior trade development Manager, said: “The US presents a number of opportunities for our red meat exporters. Quality and ‘naturalness’ are important to US consumers, with the UK’s high-quality sustainably produced red meat ideally placed to satisfy that demand.
“Our levy payers have told us how much they value our work on export development. Our aim on their behalf is to ensure our world class red meat products from the UK are showcased on the global stage and remain front of mind in export markets.”
Details on FoodEx can be found here, and the AMC website is here.
