UK beef will be heading across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in 24 years after three UK processors were given the go ahead to export beef to the US.
The businesses which are located in Northern Ireland and Wales have been listed on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety Inspection Service website.
It comes after the US announced plans to lift the now 24-year ban on British beef imports back in March after a inspection that lasted three weeks back in 2019.
The US has had a ban in place on British beef since 1996 following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
The move has been welcomed by the UK government and it has stated it opens the door to an estimated £66 million of export opportunities for farmers over the next five years.
This is a ‘historic moment’
The development has been welcomed by Phil Hadley, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) international market development director.
He called the development “a historic moment” for livestock farmers in the UK.
“We are rightly proud of our industry, which has a reputation for producing high-quality beef to some of the best welfare standards in the world.
The US represents an important potential market for our red meat exports, and this development is the result of the hard work and persistence of industry and government to bring about this crucial next step.
“This important milestone will bring a fantastic boost to the sector and we look forward to seeing more of our red meat served up on dinner tables across the US in the months and years to come,” Hadley concluded.
