UK food and drink exports have reached record levels for the first half of the year at £10.6 billion, helped by a slight rise in fresh produce exports.
According to UK trade statistics from the HMRC, the first half of 2018 saw food and drink exports grow 4 per cent on the same period last year.
The government emphasised the non-EU market opportunities such as US, China and Hong Kong as drivers of growth, with meat the most popular commodity.
According to Defra, traditional barbeque produce, such as sausages and cuts of beef have risen by 48 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. This is due in part to new meat export markets opening in recent years, with British beef getting a further boost from China lifting their BSE ban, estimated to generate £250 million in the first five years.
Total exports of fruit products for the period March to June this year were around £90 million, a few million more than last year’s fruit exports for the same period.
Defra said that 500 tonnes of strawberries have been shipped abroad so far this year, but HMRC figures for strawberry exports for the months April to June were lower than 2017 at around £716,000.
Raspberries also showed lower export numbers than 2017 for the period April to June.
Food Minister George Eustice said: “Consumers across the globe know British produce is delicious. They also know it is high in quality and backed by high standards of animal welfare. This is why we are continuing to see a huge growth in the worldwide demand for the best of what British farmers and food producers have to offer.
“This world-leading industry already boosts our economy by over £110 billion each year, and leaving the EU will give our food and drink producers an unparalleled opportunity to tap into more markets and take advantage of the UK’s position as a truly global nation.”
