Welsh red meat exports surged in value during the first six months of this year, fresh data from Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) shows.
Red meat producers in Wales exported 9,000 tonnes of beef between January and June 2024, a 14% increase on the same period in 2023. The value of these shipments rose by 16% year-on-year, says the industry-led organisation, citing HMRC data.
“In export terms, beef has seen strong momentum in this first six months of the year with double-digit rises in value and volume,” says Glesni Phillips, intelligence, analysis and business insight executive at HCC.
Ireland remains the primary destination for overall UK beef exports, with the six-monthly increase in export volume largely driven by notable growth in shipments to the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Canada.
Sheep meat exports also rose in value by 6%, despite a 10% dip in volume amid domestic supply constraints. These challenges reflect those across the wider UK market, with the size of female breeding flock falling to the lowest numbers since records began in 1996, according to Defra statistics.
“This increase in value reflects strong farmgate prices across the UK, even as domestic production saw significant declines. With UK sheep meat supply typically increasing in the second half of the year, there may be more product available for export later in 2024,” says Phillips.
With just 5% of Welsh lamb and beef consumed in Wales, exporting has a big role to play for the country’s red meat producers. According to HCC estimates, 35% of Welsh lamb and 15% of Welsh beef is consumed by export markets, with the rest sold around the UK.
Exports of red meat were worth £250mn to the Welsh economy in 2022.