Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) is ready to build on export success for Welsh red meat following the first shipment of Welsh lamb to the US, according to HCC chair Catherine Smith.
Addressing delegates at SIAL Paris, she highlighted that international demand for Wales’ red meat products was strong and celebrated the recent news of Welsh Lamb being exported to the USA for the first time in twenty years.
HCC is leading a delegation of PGI Welsh lamb and PGI Welsh beef exporters at the Paris trade show, meeting current customers and establishing new links to help grow an export trade which is already worth £210 million a year to the Welsh economy.
SIAL brings together all the major players in the global food and drink industries with over 310,000 trade visitors from over 200 countries.
Smith said:
“We have already seen a 22% increase of exports of Welsh lamb to Europe compared to last year and an incredible 227% increase in exports to new markets, demonstrating that there is a real appetite for our renowned red meat brands and that demand for Welsh red meat is growing by the day.”
As well as highlighting the importance of European export markets to the sector, Smith also paid tribute to Welsh farmers’ efforts in producing food sustainably.
She explained: “Independent research shows that lamb and beef produced in Wales has a lower carbon footprint compared with that from other parts of the world.
“We rely on healthy soils, natural rainwater and a respect for the land which has been instilled in us through generations.
“We are committed to becoming a global exemplar of how to produce quality food, sustainably and efficiently.”
