The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2019 - Issue 65 | Page 40

40 SHEEP
OCT/NOV 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
LIVESTOCK
CHINA MOVES
UK BEEF DEAL
OVER THE LINE
Beef from the UK could be served up on Chinese plates
by Christmas after China finalised the details of an
export approval agreement between the two countries.
Sheep meat exports
to China a step closer
ASPIRATIONS to export
lamb from the UK to China
are a step closer after
Chinese government offi-
cials arrived in the country
this week on a fact-finding
mission.
A delegation from the
General Administrations
of Customs of the People’s
Republic of China arrived
in the UK for a ten-day visit,
which ended today.
During the mission, they
were given a tour of a sheep
farm, abattoir, feed mill
and attended a feed testing
workshop in a bid to better
understand the disease
control measures for sheep
meat in the UK.
The visit forms part
of ongoing work by the
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
alongside the Agriculture and
Horticulture Development
Board (AHDB) and meat levy
bodies Quality Meat Scotland
(QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru
(HCC) as well as others
including UKECP, to open the
market for UK lamb.
It comes in the same
week the UK’s Chief
Veterinary Officer Christine
Middlemiss arrived in China
with AHDB to discuss the
progress of beef and pork
exports.
The Chinese authorities
signed a protocol agree-
ment in June to export beef
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for the first time in more
than 20 years since the
BSE ban. And since gaining
access in 2012, China has
become the main market in
the region for pork exports.
Demand was particularly
strong in 2016, with UK
exports valued at £43.3
million with offal exports
worth a further £31.4
million.
AHDB International
Market Development
Director Dr Phil Hadley said
the visit was incredibly suc-
cessful and marked a major
step forward in the UK’s
ambitions to gain market
access.
Tel. [phone] Visit: www.shearwell.co.uk/contactus for our rep details
IN June, Chinese government officials
signed a protocol agreement to ship
beef from the UK for the first time in 20
years marking the end of a ban following
the BSE outbreak.
Today, approval has been granted
for full access in a deal estimated to be
worth around £230 million over the first
five years. Four sites have been cleared
to export beef in the first instance, with
shipments expected to arrive by the end
of the year.
The move has been branded ‘a
triumph’ by industry leaders who have
spent the last five years working in
partnership to secure the deal.
It follows a number of inspec-
tions and inward missions hosted
by the Agriculture and Horticulture
Development Board (AHDB) in part-
nership with the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra), Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)
and Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion
Wales (HCC) and other industry bodies
including UKECP and FSA.
AHDB International Market Development
Director Dr Phil Hadley said: “This is a great
end to a very successful year for our red
meat exports. This new agreement is fan-
tastic news for our beef processors who
will now have access to another market
outside of the EU.
“We continue to work collaboratively
with government to create new oppor-
tunities for our red meat exports and
today’s announcement is a testament
to the persistence and hard work of all
involved.
“We look forward to seeing the first
shipments of beef arrive in China and
hope to replicate the success of our
pork exports in the beef sector.”
www.ahdb.org.uk