A modest 4% increase in red meat exports from Scotland in the past twelve months has been welcomed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) chairman Jim McLaren, who stressed the importance of supplying all markets – whether at home or abroad – with Scotch Beef and Lamb.
He said that while it was good to see exports rise to £81.4million last year compared with £78million in the previous twelve months, some of the rise was down to price increases leaving only a part due to increased volume of sales.
“We have to get the balance right between exports and the home market,” he stated on the QMS stand at the massive food fair at SIAL last week where nine Scottish based meat companies were meeting their customers.
Mr McLaren was keen to stress that the positive message for producers from the export figure was that red meat produced in Scotland was in demand abroad.
The demand was not just for the top quality meat but also for lesser value cuts.
He added: “Whilst there is a demand from overseas customers for the very top end of quality products from Scotland, there is encouraging volume demand from overseas markets for fifth quarter and lower value products. This is good news in terms of optimising returns for the whole carcase.”
Laurent Vernet, the head of marketing at QMS, said the Continental market was becoming far more sophisticated with buyers being more precise in their demands.
This development was beneficial to Scotland as exporters catering for those demands much better than many of their competitors.
France remains the main market for red meat from Scotland taking almost half of the overall total. Belgium and Netherlands account for another quarter with Italy at 1% and the Nordic countries at 6%.
Three years have passed since the Scandinavian countries were targeted by QMS as a potential market for Scotch Beef And Lamb and the latest figures have confirmed the success of that policy.
Looking to the future, Mr McLaren said that one market that could take Scotch meat provided current trade and health barriers were removed was Japan.
There were some forty countries at SIAL selling meat and the Japanese were making their first appearance at the exhibition with highly priced Wagyu beef.
Mr McLaren said: “I am sure Scottish beef would be in demand. They are used to paying a high price for red meat and if we could get the trade barriers down I am sure our beef would sell.”
At the event, QMS hosted visits from both the Scottish Rural Affairs Minister, Richard Lochhead and from UK Environment Minister, Liz Truss, making her first visit to the event since her appointment during the summer.