A multi-million pound project to further improve awareness across Europe of the unique qualities of Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef was announced today.
Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales will spend €4,100,000 – or just over £3,214,000 - over the next three years to promote the qualities that led to Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef being awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission.
It’s the second time in six years that HCC has been awarded millions of Euros for a promotional campaign across Europe and will bring the total spent between 2011 and 2018 to €8.1 million.
The new scheme, which runs in Germany, Italy, Sweden and Denmark, was announced by Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans, during HCC’s annual conference in Llanelli today.
The €4.1 million programme approved by the European Commission involves the promotion of the qualities of PGI, using Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef as examples, in Germany and Italy. The promotional programme in Sweden and Denmark focuses on PGI Welsh Lamb only.
This is the second time that HCC has been successful in gaining European funding for PGI promotional campaigns. In 2011, HCC was awarded €4 million to promote PGI Welsh Lamb in the UK, France, Germany and Italy over a three year period.
Great news for Welsh meat industry
“This is excellent news for the Welsh red meat industry,” said HCC chief executive Gwyn Howells. “This €4.1 million funding will provide a significant boost for our efforts to raise awareness of the high standards that Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef have to achieve in order to qualify for PGI status.
“It is particularly gratifying to know that our stewardship of the previous scheme has been judged to be a success by the European Commission – so much so that they have awarded us another €4 million to continue our work.”
The European Commission will contribute half the cost of the campaign, with HCC contributing the other half.
“Raising awareness of the qualities that have earned Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef PGI status will have a beneficial effect on farmers and processors here in Wales,” said Mr Howells. “I hope that it will lead to increased overseas orders as awareness of the PGI stamp grows, boosting sales and helping the Welsh economy.”
HCC’s market development manager Laura Pickup said: “We have chosen these countries for this intensive marketing drive because a distribution network for Welsh Lamb or Welsh Beef already exists.
“This programme provides us with the opportunity to further develop that trade by emphasising the benefits of PGI to both retailers and consumers in those countries.”
HCC’s campaigns in all four countries will include a combination of print and digital advertising, posters and recipe booklets for retailers and attendance at trade and consumer food shows. Trade missions for customers in each of the four target countries will also be organised.
Only sheep and cattle that are born and raised in Wales and slaughtered in HCC-approved abattoirs can legally be described as PGI Welsh lamb or PGI Welsh Beef.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
