The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is set to attend food and drink exhibition Foodex next week in a bid to grow UK red meat exports to Japan.
The 48th Foodex will take place from Tuesday (March 7) until Friday (March 10) in Tokyo, and is set to attract around 3,000 exhibitors and thousands of buyers from across Japan.
At Foodex, AHDB will showcase beef, lamb, and pork from the UK, with the aim of promoting it to potential importers to increase shipments of read meat next year.
AHDB’s head of Asia Pacific, Jonathan Eckley, said the board was delighted to be returning to Japan for the event, which is “one of the most important events in our export trade show calendar”.
“This year marks the first time in three years that our team will be able to attend in person following the pandemic and we are excited to be able to reconnect with potential buyers in this important market.”
Exports to Japan
According to the latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), more than 5,000t of red meat was exported to Japan last year, with beef making up almost two-thirds of the total shipments.
Beef exports increased from 2,340t to 3,175t and was worth £16.3 million – up 68% on the year before.
Pork shipments were valued at £5.5 million, rising from 1,425t to 1,518t and lamb exports rose from 74t in 2021 to 314t, worth over £781,000.
“Japan is a growing market for our red meat exports, steadily rising each year as demand for our high-quality meat continues to grow,” Eckley said.
“We are keen to maximise on the opportunities that Japan offers and help our exporters grow their business through face-to-face meetings with importers and networking opportunities that AHDB has created.”
