A NEW export deal with the Philippines, valued at £34 million for the UK, has been announced by UK Food Minister George Eustice.

The Philippines is the largest food and drink market in south east Asia, with meat consumption expected to grow by 10% over the next five years. A delegation of inspectors from there visited the UK last year.

Quality Meat Scotland was one of the UK levy bodies which supported Defra, along with the Scottish Government and other agencies, with the work involved in re-opening the market in the Philippines to British meat, and its new chief executive, Alan Clarke, described the announcement as 'excellent news' for the Scottish red meat industry.

“The Philippines are a priority market for Scotch Beef PGI which has earned a global reputation for quality underpinned by one of the longest-running quality assurance schemes in the world," said Mr Clarke. “The deal could also offer great potential in terms of maximising returns from the whole carcass.”

He added that there were 'substantial opportunities' for the Scottish red meat industry to develop and grow business inside and outside of the EU: “We have also been working hard with other trade partners such as Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Development International and the UK Export Certificate Partnership to open key markets such as the US, China and Japan which also offer exciting opportunities for the future."

Increased meat exports in 2016 played an encouraging role in a record year for food and drink exports from Scotland. Overall food and drink exports from Scotland grew by £421 million in 2016, to a record £5.5 billion, representing an 8% increase in the value of exports to Scotland’s successful food and drink sector over the past year.