The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) visited the United States (US) to drive UK red meat exports at a "major industry gathering".
Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB international trade development director, headed to the US to speak at the Meat Import Council of America (MICA) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. He promoted UK beef, lamb and pork to an audience of key industry buyers.
The conference, running from 6th to 8th November, provided a platform for Hadley to highlight the quality and traceability of UK red meat to help develop further export opportunities for UK businesses.
The US is a net importer of lamb and a large consumer of beef. The AHDB said that while domestic beef production is expected to increase, opportunities exist for imports of products that are differentiated from US production and for manufacturing beef. It also said that while the US is a big pork exporter, its volume of imports is significant and expected to rise, presenting opportunities for premium pork products from the UK.
Hadley said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to speak at the MICA Conference and to showcase our sustainable, high production standards throughout the supply chain to US buyers in a burgeoning market. Events like this are pivotal in helping us develop relationships with importers in key markets to help our levy payers capitalise on opportunities in global markets.”
His slot at the conference followed the launch earlier this year of AHDB's new export strategy Beyond Borders, aimed at supporting its ambition to help increase market access and exports sales. In 2022 the total value of UK red meat exports to the US was worth £36.2 million
Hadley added: "One of AHDB's key strategic objectives is export development, working collaboratively with industry and Government, to cultivate further opportunities for our red meat and dairy sectors. This conference is another illustration of how AHDB promotes levy payers' high-quality produce in new markets."
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.
