Welsh Beef features in an overall thirty per cent increase in beef exports to Europe from the UK in the first nine months of 2022.
France, and the Netherlands have been among the main recipients of volumes and are behind the increase identified by HMRC and reported in the latest Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) monthly Market Bulletin.
Trade data describes how fresh and frozen beef exported from the UK during the nine-month period to September totalled 93,200 tonnes – a near 30 per cent increase on the year.
The news, while factoring in post Covid and the weaker pound, is a positive reflection of HCC’s pan-European campaigning in 2022, including attendance at the top SIAL trade show in October and the hosting of international trade delegates. And there is much more to come, such as the export team attending SIRHA trade show in Lyon in early 2023.
At home, data released by consumer experts Kantar reveals that shoppers have been buying more mince at GB retail than ever before with spend up 11 per cent on the year as the cost-of-living crisis hits family budgets.
“Sales of mince accounted for 58 per cent of the total volume of beef sold during the most recent period. As mince sales usually account for around 50-53 per cent of sales, this is a notable difference,” said Glesni Philips, HCC’s Intelligence, Analysis and Business Insight Executive.
In a Market Bulletin beef special edition, she said sales of supermarket own label retail lines were soaring.
“Demand for beef on the domestic market has changed because shoppers are continuing to adopt coping strategies to mitigate costs- particularly now we are in the run up to Christmas.
“The increase in consumer demand for minced beef in Britain is a worrying trend for the sector as it makes it increasingly difficult to maintain carcase balance.
