Far East market explored thanks to deal over levies
The deal which ended the long-standing rift over levies collected on slaughtered animals will soon be helping promote Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb in the Far East.
After years of wrangling over levies on cattle and sheep raised in Scotland but slaughtered in England, a £2 million fund was set up last year by the Agricultural and Horticultural Board (AHDB) for “collaborative projects”. The ringfenced fund is an interim arrangement while a longterm solution to the levy war is sought.
Next week, the fund will be used by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) along with AHDB and HCC Meat Promotion Wales to showcase premium red meat from England, Scotland and Wales at a major international trade show, Food and Hotel Asia, in Singapore
The event – over three days from 24 to 27 April – attracts more than 40,000 delegates from around the world looking to supply hotels, restaurants and other food outlets.
The event will also see the launch by QMS of a new “Beef and Lamb Exporters from Scotland Directory” which showcases brands and profiles companies based in Scotland and involved in exports.
Laurent Vernet, director of strategic engagement
0 QMS will target major trade exhibition in Singapore with QMS, will attend the show and said the market in Asia offered significant potential for sales growth in the coming years.
“Singapore offers a real opportunity for us. It is not a big market, but it is a lucrative one with real potential for the retail and food service sectors to access quality Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb,” he said.
He stressed the Far East markets now had more importance given the prevailing uncertainty regarding European markets: “It is a fantastic platform to reinforce and strengthen our key brands and create opportunities for exporters from Scotland to secure valuable business on the world market.”
Meanwhile this week, another market is being explored, with a trade mission to the Philippines to investigate opportunities to export beef and pork.
The meat promotion bodies from Scotland and England alongside eight processors from the UK are leading the delegation to Manila where the aim is to gain a better understanding of the opportunities for UK meat exports.
The mission follows an announcement last summer that UK beef would be back on dinner plates in the Philippines after export approval was agreed. The trade was estimated to be worth £34 million over the next five years.
AHDB Export’s head of Asia Pacific Jonathan Eckley said: “The mission has allowed us to not only find opportunities for UK beef exports, but also to increase our offering of pork – a market we already enjoy a great deal of success with.”
Vernet said: “The Philippines offers a significant future market, particularly for parts of the beef and pork carcass which are not typically in strong demand on the home market.”