Persuading the Russians to end their 18-year ban on British beef and lamb – imposed after the BSE crisis of the mid-1990s – was a top priority for his trade delegation to Moscow this week, Paterson told FoodManufacture.co.uk in our exclusive video interview before the visit.
The deal included a £7M contract for lamb meat for ABP Dorset in Yetminster.
It also paved the way for a further £2M contract for beef offal.
Similar deals for the export of lamb, beef offal and prime beef are expected to follow, as the number of plants approved for export to Russia rises to meet the demand from Russian importers for prime lamb and quality grass-fed British beef.
Paterson said in Moscow that he was “thrilled” that negotiations with Russia had proved successful.
'The gates of opportunity'
“This is a credit to our vets and producers who have all worked amazingly hard to meet the required export standards. With the inclusion of offal as part of the deal, the gates of opportunity are now well and truly open for our meat industry,” he said.
Paterson added that winning the agreement was testament to the high standards of production and traceability for which British products were famous.
“This deal is great news for farmers, exporters and the UK economy as a whole,” he said.
Jean-Pierre Garnier, export manager of Eblex, the beef and sheep division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, said the success reflected the close collaboration with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
‘Industry grasps the opportunity’
“It’s still early days in this new market and competition is high, but I’m keen that our industry grasps this opportunity with both hands,” said Garnier.
“UK farmers produce some of the best quality beef and lamb in the world. Our food is renowned across the globe for its quality and we ensure the highest standards on safety and animal welfare are maintained.”
Russian deputy prime minister Dvorkovich, who signed the export deal with Paterson, described the negotiations as “successful and constructive”. He looked forward to Russia working more closely with the European Union.
British food and drink exports to Russia have rocketed by more than 220% since 2000 to their current value of over £121,562,000.
Exports to the country are expected to climb further, as Russia’s economic growth continues to fuel increasing demand for western food and drink.
Britain’s total food and drink exports are now valued at £18.2bn, up by nearly a half in the past decade.