Beef from the United Kingdom will soon return to the Philippines more than two decades after Manila banned it due to concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease.
In a statement, the British Embassy in Manila said the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was able to secure an export deal from the Philippine government valued at £34 million (P2.2 billion).
“I am delighted to see that British beef is coming back to the Philippines and looking forward to serving this fantastic British product,” British Ambassador-designate to the Philippines Daniel Pruce said in a statement.
UK-sourced beef will now join poultry, lamb, pork and dairy among the British agricultural products with access to the Philippine market.
“Securing market access for our world-class beef to the Philippines is a huge vote of confidence for a sector that already exports more than £350 million around the world, including Hong Kong and Canada,” UK Food Minister George Eustice said.
“The UK beef industry is the envy of the world and this strong demand globally for our traditional breeds reared to the highest welfare standards is what drives our exports and creates opportunities for our farmers,” Eustice added.
Manila withdrew market access for British beef in 1996 due to mad cow and the ban was lifted in 2010.
According to reports, Philippine meat inspectors visited the UK last year to reassess its food-safety standards.
The British Embassy in Manila noted that the Philippines is the largest food and drink market in Southeast Asia, with meat consumption expected to grow by 10 percent over the next 10 years.
The Philippines first opened its doors to UK pork more than a decade ago, with the UK’s market share increasing substantially over that period. UK pork shipments grew four times between 2015 and 2016, with pork offal shipments rising by 40 percent in the same period.
