UK targets upscale beef market in PH
After being banned in the Philippines for 20 years due to the mad cow disease, UK beef is staging a comeback with potential $45 million (£34 million) in annual exports to the Philippines largely catering the local upscale market.
Richard Graham, UK Prime Minister's trade envoy to the Philippines and other ASEAN countries, said the UK beef exports will largely cater to the high-end market which demands high quality products.
Graham, however, said "it will take awhile for distributors to establish network because it’s a new business after 20 years."
The Philippines has been cited as a good export market because of the improving purchasing power of Filipinos.
Graham also said that beef is part of Filipinos psyche as do other nationalities.
"British exports coming to the Philippines is a semblance of the fiesta and part of our psyche," said Graham.
Mike Moon, director of trade and investment of the British Embassy in Manila, told reporters at the launch of the resumption of the UK beef exports to the Philippines followed after the lifting of the ban on August 19, 2017 and the granting of a system-wide accreditation to UK by the Philippines' Department of Agriculture.
Intense negotiations were conducted by both countries in 2008-2009 for the resumption of beef exports.
The embassy is also looking into sending a beef delegation to the Philippines this year.
Moon said that UK beef exports to Malaysia and Indonesia are a lot bigger because of the "halal" export component. Exports to the Philippines are not "halal" because it is not a Muslim country, but Moon said that UK meat exporters have the capability to export halal-certified beef to the Philippines, which has a minority Muslim population.