Opportunities to export beef and pork to the Philippines are being explored this week as part of a two-day British Meat Trade Mission.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) are leading the visit in Manila, alongside eight processors from the UK who will meet with key importers and distributors.

The aim is to gain a better understanding of the needs of the marketplace and opportunities that exist for UK meat exports.

During the visit, the UK delegation has the chance to speak to the Philippine Association of Meat Importers, discuss production protocols and food safety standards as well as engage in a question and answer session with the Philippine authorities.

The mission follows an announcement last summer that UK beef would be back on dinner plates in the Philippines after export approval was agreed, estimated to be worth £34 million over the next five years.

Defra and AHDB worked with UKECP, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Scottish Government together with QMS, and other UK levy boards and Government departments to secure the deal.

AHDB Export’s Head of Asia Pacific Jonathan Eckley said: “This two-day mission is an important part of an ongoing process to identify opportunities and increase our meat exports to the Philippine market.

“The Philippines is the largest food and drink market in south east Asia with meat consumption expected to grow by ten per cent over the next five years.

“The mission has allowed us to not only find opportunities for UK beef exports, but also to increase our offering of pork – a market we already enjoy a great deal of success with.”

Laurent Vernet, Director of Strategic Engagement with QMS, is one of those attending the Manila visit and said the market could offer an important opportunity for Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb sales growth in the coming years.

He added: “The Philippines offers a significant future market, particularly for parts of the beef and pork carcass which are not typically in strong demand on the home market. This offers the potential for Scottish exporters to maximise their potential return from the whole carcass.”

The country first opened its doors to UK pork more than a decade ago, with the UK’s market share increasing substantially over that period. UK pork shipments grew four times between 2015 and 2016, with pork offal shipments rising by 40 per cent in the same period.