AHDB hosted buyers from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Mexico following a reported UK dairy export total of £973 million in the first half of 2026. The mission included visits to dairy production facilities and two dedicated ‘Meet the Buyer’ events in Manchester and London.

Over the course of the week delegates, representing businesses actively importing dairy products and looking to explore future sourcing opportunities from Britain, met with 23 dairy export businesses covering a range of products including cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream.

The initiative forms part of AHDB’s export growth programme to identify market opportunities, build commercial relationships and support the growth of British dairy exports around the world.

Asia was identified by AHDB as a key growth region for dairy exports, reflected in total UK dairy shipments to Asia and Oceania in the first half of this year being worth £79 million. According to AHDB, Mexico presents a significant emerging opportunity following the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP has reportedly improved market access for British dairy products, with the first consignment of cheese shipped there this month.

“Giving these buyers the opportunity to visit production facilities, meet processors and experience our products first-hand helps build confidence in British dairy.”

Lucy Randolph, AHDB head of international trade development, commented: “It’s great to see the first product shipped to Mexico under CPTPP and we hope this mission keeps the momentum high and results in more British product shipped to this emerging market. Helping access international markets is a key part of AHDB’s work to support the profitability and resilience of the sector.

“There is no substitute for seeing our industry up close. Giving these buyers the opportunity to visit production facilities, meet processors and experience our products first-hand helps build confidence in British dairy and strengthens the foundations for future trade. Ultimately, that supports demand throughout the supply chain, delivering value back to dairy levy payers.

“This mission allows buyers to see first-hand the quality, integrity and innovation that defines British dairy production, while creating valuable commercial opportunities for our exporters. By bringing buyers from Asia and Mexico, AHDB is creating a platform where exporters can build relationships, showcase their products and explore new opportunities in priority growth markets.”

Dan Rush, international sales director of Shropshire-based cheesemakers Belton Farm, stated: “Exports is an enormous part of our business and we’ve been delighted to take part in this inward mission which enables British dairy to get in front of decision-makers and demonstrate what our sector can offer. Britain has an incredibly varied dairy industry which we should be shouting about from the rooftops and that’s what AHDB is helping us do.

“We have 65 farms that supply us with milk from the local area within about a 20-mile radius. One of the things we love to talk to them about is the export trade and they love the idea that the milk they produce is transformed into cheese which finds its way to the other side of the world. It makes them proud and we are proud to work with them. It’s great to be able to talk about these positives when it’s such a challenging environment for farmers in general.”

The inward mission forms part of AHDB’s export strategy, with recent activity including targeted market development programmes across Asia and the Middle East. AHDB’s wider International Trade Development team also attended SIAL Paris, supporting both dairy and red meat export businesses. The dairy team will be following this up in November at Food and Hotel China (FHC) where they will be supporting six export businesses on the UK pavilion. 

Randolph added: “Events like SIAL and FHC provide an invaluable global shopwindow for our dairy and red meat exporters to connect directly with buyers from across the world and showcase the quality, provenance and production standards that set our products apart. Supporting companies at leading global trade events like this is an important way of delivering value for levy payers, helping to diversify export markets, strengthen confidence our dairy and red meat sectors, and underpin growth across the supply chain.

“By bringing together international buyers and our exporters, AHDB helps create commercial opportunities that individual businesses may find difficult to access on their own. We look forward to continuing delivering this support and playing our part in helping to deliver export growth.”