Tony Goodger of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers highlights some exciting benefits for the UK meat sector through new trade deals. In October 2021 the Government published the “UK approach to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)”. A 66-page document making the case for joining the 11 existing members in a £9 trillion+ trade block of in excess of 500 million people.
Reading back over it, it is of note that the words ‘Beef’ and ‘Lamb’ are mentioned three times whilst the words ‘Pork’ and ‘Chicken’ aren’t mentioned at all! Neither for that matter is the word ‘Halal’.
Forward 18 months to Friday 31st March 2023 and what was an unusually busy day on the gov.uk pages, with no less than six announcements in relation to the UK’s deal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
According to recent figures 63.5 percent of Malaysia’s population are Muslim so it’s to be hoped that markets for UK Halal Lamb and Poultry can be opened.
Thinking big…should it be bigger?
As a country we promote our high levels of animal welfare and proclaim our food safety to be second to none, both features and benefits that buyers across the world should engage with.
In fact, returning to the 66 pages of the UK approach to joining the CPTPP it says on page seven (2.7.5) that:
“There is also growing appetite amongst these consumers for more high-quality meat products, for example, with agri-food imports for CPTPP growing at twice the rate of the EU. With CPTPP countries projected to account for 25% of global import demand for meat products by the end of the decade, this could also mean more British beef and lamb seen in supermarkets across Asia Pacific and the Americas.”
Clearly when the UK decided to join CPTPP they were thinking ‘big’, but do they think big enough?
Re-phrase 2.7.5 to read “…consumers for more high-quality meat and Halal meat products…” and ‘…could also mean more British beef and lamb as well as High Welfare British Halal lamb, chicken and beef seen in supermarkets and on menus across Asia Pacific…”. That would be thinking BIG.
It is good to be a member of the CPTPP, but time and hard work will be needed to reap the benefits for our economy.
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