This week, one of Asia’s largest food and drink exhibitions is providing a platform for exporters to showcase high quality meat (beef, lamb and pork) from the UK.

Eight businesses have joined the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) at FoodEx in Tokyo, to help promote British red meat and grow exports to the region, which were worth £12 million in 2023.

The four-day event is expected to attract thousands of buyers from Japan and the wider South East Asia region, providing the platform for UK export businesses to connect with existing and potential new customers.

British Meat dinner

Approximately 100 industry stakeholders and representatives from UK government attended a British Meat dinner on Monday (March 4).

As well as that, a British food and drink reception hosted by the UK government is being held today (Wednesday, March 6).

British exporters

AHDB senior trade development manager, Susan Stewart, said: “FoodEx is a key event in the export trade calendar, providing a pivotal role in helping our red meat exporters connect with buyers in this important market.

“While trading conditions have been challenging in the last year, Japan remains a strategic market as an importer of higher-value product.”

Stewart added that the AHDB are “working very hard with industry and government” to obtain further opportunities with FoodEx.

“AHDB analysis has highlighted the long-term opportunities for British beef, lamb and pork in Japan, where consumers are placing more importance on sustainably produced high welfare products, which UK producers are in a position to fulfil.

“Our red meat levy payers value our export work and we will continue to work collaboratively with industry and UK government to fly the flag for our high-quality produce at exhibitions like FoodEx, as the shop window to buyers from Japan and the wider South East Asia region.”