EBLEX highlights huge opportunities for beef and lamb exports to Africa
EBLEX highlights huge opportunities for beef and lamb exports to Africa
The increasing gap between rising population and food demand in Africa presents enormous opportunities for beef and sheep meat exports, according to EBLEX.
EBLEX export manager Jean-Pierre Garnier outlined the African market potential at the organisation’s eighth annual export conference at Stoneleigh Park.
Garnier told more than 100 delegates at the event that the UK was well-placed to capitalise on supplying fifth quarter products to the growing market. Delegates were also given a more in-depth insight into trading with Angola and Ghana. They heard how exports of frozen beef products from the UK to Ghana from 2010 to 2011 more than tripled, while short term opportunities for fifth quarter products to Angola could lead to the export of high-end cuts in the long term.
Adding Third Country markets to open up new trading routes has been a focus of EBLEX for nearly two years. It has led to the opening up more than 50 new non-EU markets by providing the support services, funding and drive to keep things moving. UK exports of beef and lamb to sub-Saharan Africa from January to April 2012 totalled more than 800 tonnes.
Mr Garnier said: “While working on securing market access to China remains an important long-term goal, there are currently huge opportunities for exporting to markets in Africa and this was clearly evident at our conference.
“Our work has helped ensure that these markets are already open and the UK is well placed to supply fifth quarter products to Africa due to historical links and logistics.”
Presentations from the EBLEX Export Conference can be downloaded from the events section on the EBLEX website www.eblex.org.uk.
