Opportunities in Asia for UK red meat exports
DEMAND FOR red meat in Asia has soared due to the ongoing African Swine Fever outbreak and could offer opportunities for UK meat exporters.
This message was heard by almost 200 delegates who took part in an AHDB export webinar, where they were told that despite the impact coronavirus has had on global trade, the UK is ‘weathering the storm’ and continuing to ship red meat to key target markets.
They learnt that there were further opportunities to be had across Asia in markets other than China, such as Taiwan, Singapore and especially Vietnam, where there has been a significant drop in domestic pork production as a result of the AFS outbreak. Recent research revealed that that pork production in the country has fallen by 17% with an expectation to further drop to around 52% by the end of the year.
Meat director of GIRA Foods, Rupert Claxton, told the delegates that it could take a decade for Vietnam’s pork sector to recover: “There is a real opportunity to potentially increase volumes over the next five to ten years.”