Blog: All roads lead to Cologne

Recent data shows that during the first half of 2023, the UK exported 152,000 t of pig meat, valued at nearly £300m. While lower production here in the UK and some challenges on the global stage applied pressure on shipments, actively promoting the UK as a supplier of high-quality pork and pig meat products remains critical to our sector.

We had a busy first half of the year as global markets opened following the pandemic. Pork was high on the agenda for our activity in key markets, particularly across North America and in the Far East.

This autumn we will see UK pig meat take centre stage at overseas events. Trade shows provide a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our high-quality pork to buyers in a number of markets.

Our activity kicks off in Hong Kong where we'll be targeting high-end retailers and foodservice suppliers at the Restaurant & Bar show. This will be followed by an exhibition in one of our newer markets, Chile, as we head to the Espacio Food & Service show in Santiago. Although it is still early days, more than £250,000-worth of UK pig meat has been sold to this market in the first six months of the year.

The world’s most significant food trade fair, Anuga, takes place in Cologne in October and will feature our largest stand of the year. All leading UK pork exporters have taken dedicated space on the AHDB stand in the British Meat pavilion. This is a truly global event and attendance is restricted to trade visitors only. It will attract buyers from key markets across the world, including, for the first time since 2018, a strong contingent of customers from our largest pork market, China.

Anuga provides us and our exporters with the ideal platform to continue to build and strengthen existing business relationships and our presence in the dedicated meat halls will also attract potential new clients wishing to start commercial conversations.

The AHDB stand will include dedicated meeting areas and a daily menu featuring high-end pork dishes for potential and existing customers to sample the taste and quality of the products the UK has to offer the global market.

Fifth-quarter exports are also an important element of the UK offer. While demand from Asia accounts for the bulk of our offal exports, three African markets also feature in the top ten non-EU markets. We are taking UK exporters to sub-Saharan Africa in October to visit two key markets in the region. This is an example of leading exporters to potential markets to get a first look, understand the market dynamic and gain invaluable insight. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for face-to-face meetings with leading importers in both markets.

In international markets, people do business with people and relationships are key to the success of this. Our export campaign is built around enhancing these relationships and both our trade show programme and missions to market provide a great opportunity to continue to build these relationships for our sectors.