Strong start for English beef exports

English beef exports have re-started strongly and are making an important contribution to achieving the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) forecast for the first year of 30,000 tonnes worth in the region of £75 million. Leading the field on taking English beef are France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain following a huge programme of activities and attendance at a host of trade shows by the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX). Additional events are still in the pipeline aimed at boosting exports further.

Main customers for the first English prime beef exports are Italy, Benelux and Spain with cow beef customers mainly in the Netherlands and France. Richard Ali, EBLEX Chief Executive, said: "It is very pleasing indeed to see how well markets in Europe have started to accept English beef again. "But we certainly don't intend to rest on our laurels - there's a lot more work to do. Our planned importer/exporter convention in Paris on June 7 will be important to help set up new business contacts between buyers and sellers. "This is being supported at home by a number of highly successful inward missions with buyers seeing England's beef chain in action.

"We intend to make sure England is at the forefront of the work being done and that the English industry profits as much as possible from the trade." Notes to Editors: In 1995, prior to export restrictions being placed on British beef in 1996 due to BSE, Britain exported 274,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef valued at £520 million.

Britain's largest customers were: France, Italy, Irish Republic, South Africa and the Netherlands.