Welsh lamb to be showcased in the US

Welsh red meat exporters will be heading across the Atlantic to promote PGI Welsh Lamb on a trade visit facilitated by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

Welsh lamb will feature at the Annual Meat Conference (AMC) which this year is taking place in Nashville, Tennessee between March 18 and 20, and more than 1,900 delegates from across the US meat sector are expected to attend.

HCC’s Head of Strategic Marketing and Connections, Laura Pickup, said: “AMC is the key event in the American meat calendar and it is vital that HCC is there to develop demand in this priority market to secure a prosperous future for Welsh farmers and exporters.

“Welsh Lamb is a premium product that boasts exceptional taste and sustainability credentials. It is produced with pride by Welsh farmers and offers some of the highest sustainability and animal welfare credentials within the global marketplace. This all adds to Welsh Lamb’s superior taste and eating experience.”

Brecon & Radnor Express

Welsh lamb is big in Japan

Exports of Welsh lamb to Japan are picking up again after the Covid-19 pandemic stalled sales.

Trade secured in Japan by Welsh red meat levy body Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) was strengthening in 2019, before it was interrupted by restrictions linked to the pandemic.

But that market is improving again, with Welsh lamb on sale at the Hitsuji Festival in Tokyo, an annual food fair that shines the spotlight on lamb.

Suppliers and chefs from America, Australia, Iceland, New Zealand and Japan sampled several dishes made with lamb.

Welsh lamb producers have been capitalising on a growing marketplace after Japan lifted its 23-year ban on British beef and lamb imports in 2019, which had been in place since the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic in 1996.

For the UK as a whole, lamb and sheepmeat exports to Japan for the first three quarters of 2022 were worth £0.48m – up 368% compared with the same period in 2021.

“In 2021, exports were very low, but we’ve seen a pick-up in the latter half of 2022, though it is obviously still a very small market compared with Europe,” said a HCC spokesperson.

Debbie James / Farmers Weekly

Welsh lamb exports to new markets up 227%

Exports of Welsh lamb to new markets have rocketed by 227 per cent, demonstrating ’real appetite’ for renowned red meat brands, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) chair Catherine Smith has said.

The countries now taking the meat include Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Addressing delegates at SIAL Paris during a reception event hosted by HCC, Ms Smith revealed exports of Welsh lamb to Europe had also increased 22 per cent compared to last year, before paying tribute to Welsh farmers efforts in producing sustainable food.

“Independent research shows that lamb and beef produced in Wales has a lower carbon footprint compared with that from other parts of the world,” she said.

“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.”

by Hannah Binns / Farmers Guardian

See also: UK’s native sheep breeds in spotlight following US taste test