African success for British meat
Meat trading in the busy port of Tema, Ghana.
Major British beef processors and traders were represented at the AHDB commercial mission to Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that took place from 16th to 20th September.
The visit culminated with a reception hosted by High Commissioner Iain Walker in Accra and was reported on Ghanaian television.
The event, attended by nearly 50 importers, was reported as notable for the enthusiasm of the guests and the quality of commercial contacts.
Ghana is a large importer of low-price meat and offal, and beef imports volumes exceed that of pork, and nearly match that of chicken. The UK is already the largest exporter of beef products to Ghana and ships good volumes of low-price lamb cuts.
Luis Garcia, the head of mission said: “The level of interest of importers both in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana exceeded our expectations. We will aim to build on from the visits to the local importers and the good contacts”.
No doubt AHDB will be reassured to see that British meat is said to be highly rated in Ghana over meat from other origins. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana both have fast-growing economies, incomes are rising, and meat imports are on the up. Ghanaians favour beef and bovine offal such as feet with the meat used in traditional stews and served in roadside cafés.
In practice, the level of Ghanaian meat and offal imports from the UK is under-reported due to the large indirect shipments from Ireland and the Netherlands.
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