January 27, 2012

UK sees reduction of cheap pork imports

A reduction of cheap pork imports to the UK is expected, according to Scottish meat expert, Quality Meat Scotland.

In the latest analysis of global meat trends, an increasing world demand and currency fluctuations outside Europe can be seen. This means imports from areas such as South America and Australasia are losing their competitive edge on the price front.

Stuart Ashworth, Head of Economics Services at Quality Meat Scotland, presented the results of the analysis at a recent QMS marketing conference.

He said, "With the population of the United Kingdom expected to grow by 8% by 2020, we're going to be looking at a rise in demand for meat within the UK. When we take into account our growing export activity, this means we will be selling into, and buying from, an increasingly tightly supplied global market.

"Most of our beef and pork imports come from within the EU and most of our lamb imports are from New Zealand and Australia. Both have seen declining stock numbers, whereas global demand for meat is set to continue apace."

Studies by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) predict that demand for pork is set to rise by 37%. Most of the growth is set to be driven by the emerging prosperity in developing countries.

Ashworth said: "With the Euro in the doldrums, the currencies of our traditional trading partners, such as Brazil and New Zealand, are appreciating strongly, and this, coupled with tight supplies, is leading to global prices converging with European prices."