On Tuesday 11th October, I was delighted to attend a reception at Number 10 Downing Street to mark the first export of British lamb to the United States in 20 years.
I was also grateful that the Prime Minister allowed me to invite Mr John Bishop, a sheep farmer from Colwall, North Herefordshire.
Over the weekend, we reopened the American market for British lamb. The first shipment of British lamb in 20 years left Carmarthenshire in Wales and arrived in the US.
According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (ADHB), the US market will be worth £37 million to the UK sheep sector in the first five years of trade.
I am thrilled that our premium lamb will not just be enjoyed at home but also championed around the world.
As a result of this exciting new development, over 300 million US consumers will soon be able to enjoy our world-renowned lamb.
This follows several export successes over the past couple of years, including the first export of beef to the US in decades and the first ever export of British pork to Chile.
As more doors are opened for British agriculture by these new trade deals, I would like to encourage producers in North Herefordshire that would like to get involved to see the guidance published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Department for International Trade (DIT) at: Export to Grow.
