The pork supply chain and quality British pork took centre stage at one of the biggest food and hospitality shows in China last month.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) attended FHC China 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 13 -15 November, as part of its ongoing work to develop relationships with the all-important Chinese market.
For the first time, AHDB Pork moved from the Great British Pavilion to the dedicated Meat Hall to take advantage of the increased footfall over the three days.
AHDB was joined by five UK pork exporters, who used the British Meat Pavilion to liaise with key stakeholders from the Chinese supply chain. The exhibition attracted more than 2,400 companies from 70 countries and regions and over 90,000 trade buyers.
AHDB’s Senior Export Manager Jonathan Eckley said: “This year’s exhibition was very well attended and our exporters commented they enjoyed good interaction with both existing and potentially new clients during the three days.
“FHC China is an incredibly important show for AHDB as it is dedicated to imported products only across all food sectors and provides the opportunity to engage with key players in the food service sector as well as the wider supply chain.”
AHDB has identified China as a key market for UK pig meat exports and it is already the UK’s biggest customer outside the EU, importing 40,000 tonnes of UK pork and 36,000 tonnes of UK offal in 2016.
There is particular benefit to the industry in exporting the so-called ‘fifth quarter’ – products that have limited domestic demand in the UK but are prized in the Chinese market.
Mr Eckley added: “This is the last show of the year for us in China and it was great to finish on a high note, despite current challenges on the Chinese pork market, there was a real buzz in the Meat Hall.”
