March 13, 2020

British beef exports inch closer to US market

British beef could soon be shipping to the US after government officials agreed to UK standards for an export deal worth GBP66 million over the first five years.

The US has agreed equivalence of standards on the UK's disease control measures following a three-week inspection last summer. It means that after the final administrative details are carried out, beef can be shipped to the US.

The inspections in August 2019 included tours of five beef sites, four pork and lamb facilities, as well as several laboratories.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the news was a positive step for the beef industry and an opportunity for farmers to sell to a new and significant market.

NFU livestock board chairman, Richard Findlay, said, "This will be welcome news for livestock farmers who, with ongoing uncertainty over trade with the EU, have been unsure of where their products will be going.

"Farmers want to make the most of this opportunity to supply one of the biggest markets in the world, and we will continue to work with the AHDB to ensure British beef gets the promotion it deserves."

The deal has been negotiated by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and other organisations across the UK.

"The announcement is a crucial step in our ambitions to gain market access for our beef and lamb—to go with out existing pork trade—to the all-important US market," Phil Hadley, AHDB's international market development director, said.

The inspection in the summer was part-financed from the GBP2-million fund of AHDB red meat levies, which is ring-fenced for collaborative projects that is managed by Britain's three meat levy bodies: the AHDB, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) and QMS.