Italy-Welsh beef and lamb available for rugby players and fans.

Rugby fans can expect Welsh meat in Italy

13/3/2009

Thousands of rugby fans travelling to Italy for this weekend’s Six Nations clash can expect to be offered the delights of Welsh Lamb or Welsh Beef at some point during their stay.

Exports of Welsh red meat to Italy are currently thriving, with Wales last year exporting nearly £6 million worth of Welsh Lamb to Italy and a further £2 million worth of Welsh Beef.

This equates to exportation of over 1600 tonnes of Welsh Lamb and over 450 tonnes of Welsh Beef.

Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said: "Our success in exporting red meat to Italy is testament to the quality of our Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef and to the esteem in which it is held throughout the world. I am very proud of our success in this area, particularly as Italy is a country famed for its excellent food.

"Wales’s success in exporting Welsh Lamb to Italy means that it is already part of a staple diet for Rome’s young people as it is the only type of lamb to be served at schools across the city.

"The success of Welsh Lamb in winning the contract to supply Rome’s schools was due in part to it being granted the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication status and is proof that PGI status allows us to maximise the opportunities for promoting Welsh Lamb as a top quality product."

The best of Welsh Beef and Welsh Lamb will be showcased in Italy later this year at the Tutto Food Fair which is being held in Milan between 10th and 13th June.

The trade fair, which attracts buyers from throughout Italy and exhibitors from across Europe, is one of the largest in Europe. Hybu Cig Cymru /Meat Promotion Wales will be taking some of our finest meat processing companies to Italy to attend the fair so that they can discuss the trade of Welsh red meat directly with potential customers.