Sheep meat from the UK will soon be heading to India for the first time in a deal which could be worth around £6 million over the next five years.

The agreement, which covers a wide range of sheep meat cuts, is another fantastic boost for farmers and producers in the UK – with sheep meat exports already worth £386 million internationally.

It comes after a detailed process of inspections and negotiations led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) alongside the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the FSA, UKECP, DAERA, APHA and others.

AHDB International Market Development Director Dr Phil Hadley said: “India represents a smaller market for our sheep meat exports but one with the potential for future growth due to its growing population and income.

“Access to this new market is the result of ongoing work by government, AHDB and key industry stakeholders and provides us with another non-European market for our sheep meat exports. This announcement is once again a testament to the high quality produce and world-class standards we have here in the UK.”