UK fresh and frozen pork exports to Australia hit 1000 tonnes in the first half of 2016, indicating that the British product may be starting to penetrate the country’s pigmeat market, according to AHDB Pork.
Although equivalent to a quarter of what Irish pigmeat exporters are achieving in Australia, the UK tonnage is massively up on last year’s first half sales of just 24 tonnes.
With the exported product mainly consisting of frozen middles, the 1000-tonne trade represented a high value outlet for UK producers, for whom the average price was A$4.07 a kg (£2.34/kg).
“The UK faces strong competition from other EU countries,” said AHDB Pork, commenting on the day plans for a post-Brexit free-trade deal between the UK and Australia hit the national press.
Denmark is the leading EU competitor at present with pigmeat sales to Australia reaching 29,200 tonnes in the first half of this year. The Netherlands, on 8,300 tonnes, and Ireland, on 3,900 tonnes, are also currently well ahead of the UK on sales ‘down-under’.