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British beef producers meet Chinese
requirements
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British beef to be served up on Chinese dinner plates
for the first time in over 20 years
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Industry estimate the move could be worth £230 million
for beef producers
The British beef industry is set to benefit from an estimated
£230 million boost as the Chinese government today (18 October)
finalised details of a historic UK-China agreement.
For the first time in over 20 years, UK farmers and beef
producers will have full access to the Chinese market, marking
the end of a ban imposed by China following the BSE outbreak in
1996.
Today’s announcement follows extensive inspections by the Chinese
authorities – who have confirmed that British beef producers meet
the necessary standards to export to their market – and marks the
final step in securing access.
The Chinese authorities have cleared four beef sites for export
in the first instance – with further sites under review – and the
first exports are expected to be shipped in the next few
months.
Environment Secretary said:
“Sealing this landmark agreement with China is huge news for our
world-renowned food and farming industry, meaning more people
across the globe can enjoy British beef.
“Today’s milestone marks another step towards unlocking the
industry’s full potential, and reflects our ambition to maximise
trading opportunities for British produce across the world as the
UK leaves the EU”.
International Trade Secretary said:
“Chinese diners can now enjoy the best beef in the world. I’m
delighted that our dedicated UK producers can now sell quality
products to one of the world’s largest economies, supporting
local jobs and bringing millions of pounds to the UK economy each
year.
“This is another step forward in realising our global trading
ambitions with unbeatable British food. As we leave the European
Union, we will continue to break down market access barriers to
make it easier for UK businesses to trade across the world.”
The China-UK beef agreement
is the
culmination of several years of engagement between UK and Chinese
government officials. China’s ban was lifted in
June last year when
market access engagement for UK beef exports began.
It follows a number of inspections and inward missions hosted by
the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), in
partnership with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru
(Meat Promotion Wales HCC) and other industry bodies, as well as
government departments and agencies.
AHDB International Market Development Director Dr Phil
Hadley said:
“This is a great end to a very successful year for our red meat
exports. This new agreement is fantastic news for our beef
processors who will now have access to another market outside of
the EU.
“We continue to work collaboratively with government to create
new opportunities for our red meat exports and today’s
announcement is a testament to the persistence and hard work of
all involved.
“We look forward to seeing the first shipments of beef arrive in
China and hope to replicate the success of our pork exports in
the beef sector.”
The announcement comes after China recently
approved five British pork plants to export products to China,
which will build on a market which is already worth £70 million
per year. We look forward to further approval of qualified UK
pork plants by the end of the 2019.
China is currently the UK’s eighth largest
export market for food and drink, with more than £610 million
worth of products bought by Chinese consumers last year.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- This agreement is the product of collaboration across
government, across the Defra group including APHA, RPA and VMD,
with collaboration from FSA and DAERA in Northern Ireland.
