Leap In UK Exports
UK - Fresh and frozen beef exports from the UK in July 2010 were up 31 per cent to 8,000 tonnes compared to the same month in 2009, new figures from EBLEX Market Intelligence have revealed.In the year to date, fresh and frozen beef exports, at 56,000 tonnes, continue to be well above 2009 levels. This increase in exports is partially a result of UK production increasing by 10 per cent in the first seven months of this year compared with the same period in 2009.
In non-EU countries, exports of beef are up by more than 35 per cent, to 1,816 tonnes, compared to the first seven months last year.
In addition, to the end of July 2010, the UK exported 20,000 tonnes of red meat offal, almost 50 per cent more than in the corresponding period last year, although returning to a similar level to that in 2008.
Peter Hardwick, head of trade development for EBLEX, said: "The continuing rise in beef exports in encouraging though we are still a long way short of levels previously enjoyed in the early 1990s. There is a lot more work still to be done in identifying potential new markets for the right products and expanding current markets.
"However it is good news and shows the demand there is out there for quality beef while giving producers in England more markets to target to get the best possible price."
The upward trend in exports is expected to continue when August and September figures are revealed, reflecting the recent doubling of the number of export markets available to beef producers thanks to a dedicated push on export certificates by EBLEX.
A total of nine additional non-EU export markets are now available, most of them in Africa. Previously, there were only six non-EU export markets available to producers of beef in Great Britain. These new markets may assist producers to maximise returns as they have a demand for certain parts of the carcase not widely utilised domestically.
TheCattleSite News Desk