Mexico's livestock industry leaders are set to visit the UK this weekend to learn more about the British pork sector.
The six-day mission has been organised by the government to help promote British pork to Mexico, which is a large consumer of the meat.
Last year, the country imported almost a million tonnes of pig meat, excluding offal – with the lion’s share coming from the US.
During the visit to the UK, delegates will tour farms, processors, supermarkets and a leading pig farming and genetics specialist.
The programme will also include a day at the Great Yorkshire Show, one of the biggest agricultural events in the English calendar.
Among the delegation are vets from the state of Jalisco, an important retailer from the north of the country and Mexican media.
AHDB Senior Export Manager Susana Morris said the visit presents an 'incredible opportunity' to showcase British pork to influential industry experts in the Mexican market.
“This is a fantastic chance to highlight the quality of our product and underline our high animal welfare, strict control of antibiotic use, world-leading assurance schemes and, of course, the exceptional taste and texture of our pork.
“As well as visiting retailers and farms, we will also provide an overview of our work in genetics for breeding purposes and exchange best practices with our visitors.
“Mexico is a significant market for our pork trade and we are in progressive discussions with the Mexican authorities regarding market access for pork,” Ms Morris said.
AHDB has worked with the Department for International Trade (DIT) in Mexico since 2018, with the aim of diversifying the market, promoting British pork and warming up the interest of companies for the future opening of the market.
The visit follows the UK and China securing an agreement for British beef exports to commence by the end of 2019.
