Businesses have been urged to build on the success of dairy and red meat exports with global appetite set to grow further.

The rallying call came from Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) chair, Nicholas Saphir, at a recent Export Conference. It was revealed that global fresh dairy product consumption is expected to grow by 2.53% from 2023 to 2024.

Global meat consumption is also expected to grow by 1.8%, and UK red meat exports hit record levels in 2022 with a value of £1.7 billion. The dairy sector achieved a similar level.

Saphir said: “Our exporters and colleagues in Government should be congratulated on the fabulous job done in driving export growth for UK agri-food which is reflected in the figures from 2022.

“It is, however, imperative to maintain the momentum and build on this success. With the anticipated growth in global meat and dairy consumption, now is a pivotal moment for more UK exporters to seize on the export opportunities presented.”

Saphir welcomed the Government’s recent commitment to invest £2 million to boost its programme of global trade shows and missions, as well as providing £1.6 million for the GREAT food and drink campaign and a new £1 million bespoke export support fund for the dairy sector to help support the UK’s export ambitions.

He added: “The Government’s pledge at its recent Farm to Fork summit was very encouraging and will complement AHDB’s £8 million annual investment in exports to facilitate trade and grow our reputation as a producer of quality, safe and wholesome food.”

Beyond Borders

The conference also provided a platform to unveil Beyond Borders – AHDB’s new strategy aimed at delivering enhanced services to help more exporters maximise the global potential for high-quality domestic produce.

The strategy sets out plans to encourage more businesses to develop their export potential with the help of AHDB services.