UK beef exports back to pre-pandemic levels

Statistics show a 53% increase in UK beef exports in the first quarter of the year. The UK exported 12,600 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef in March, up 14% from February and up 46% from the same month last year, according to HMRC data. Although the volume is significantly higher compared to last year, the volume was closer to the volume of exports in 2019 and 2020, the AHDB said in a note.

This means that the UK shipped 30,800 tonnes of beef during the first quarter of the year, up 53% from the same period a year ago. As part of this, 9,000 tons were sent to Ireland, 7,000 tons to France and 5,600 tons to the Netherlands. Growth was also seen in non-EU countries, especially Japan, CHINA and the US. “We expect more beef to be sold now than a year ago, as Brexit previously lowered supply volumes, especially in the first quarter of 2021. Shipments recovered to more typical levels in the second half of the year and this trend will continue until the end of 2022. In March, the UK imported 21,700 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef, down 45% from February but up 23% from the same month a year ago,” said Hannah Clarke, lead analyst at AHDB.