Food export opportunities
Food export opportunities – Introduction
Food export opportunities – this article is to assist food producers and manufacturers worldwide in identifying food export opportunities to build export sales.
We highlight some very specific food export opportunities for certain products in specific countries and also some more general opportunities that will be of interest to most food producers.
Food export opportunities – Meat & dairy products to the UK
Although BREXIT was largely completed back in 2020 some major changes in import regulations are only now coming into force.
One such regulation relates to the import of meat and dairy products, this includes milk, products that contain raw milk (cheese for example), meat and meat products. This regulation came into force on the 31st January 2024 and means extra costs and extra paperwork for EU exporters of food to the UK. From April 30th 2024 physical checks will also be required.
Many EU companies have now decided to end supply of these products to the UK. One UK importer and distributor said, “Some of the importers we used to use have stopped exporting to the UK, and some products we can’t source at all now. The increase in paperwork and the constant changes are the cited reasons for this.”
Prices for these products are now rising and importers are seeking new supply sources. The UK imports most of its fruit and veg (all except apples, potatoes and other root crops) so suppliers of these products have food export opportunities also.
Food export opportunities – European shortages of fruit and veg
Europe suffered shortages of fruit and veg in 2023 due to problematic weather conditions for European farmers. This was particularly true for salad lines such as lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. This situation could be repeated in 2024 due to forecasts for hot and dry weather caused by El Nino.
European grower problems are made worse by ongoing increases in labour and energy costs. The EU is not an easy market to enter due to regulations but the market potential for outside suppliers is of course considerable.
Food export opportunities – India ban on rice exports
India placed a ban on the export of rice back in 2023 and that ban is expected to remain in place well into 2024. India is the world’s largest rice exporter with around 16.5 million metric tons usually exported per annum.
Why did India ban rice exports? Bad weather conditions caused a poor harvest in 2023 and this in turn caused domestic rice prices to increase to the highest level for many years. India has an election in May 2024 so the government was concerned that these high prices for a food staple would affect its popularity.
So what is the opportunity? The biggest importers of Indian rice have been Iran, Saudi Arabia and China, so these are countries that rice exporters can target for new export sales.
Extra information on the India ban on rice exports can be found here: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Commodities/Asia-s-rice-squeeze-after-India-export-ban-4-things-to-know#:~:text=Officially%2C%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Consumer,are%20on%20an%20increasing%20trend.%22
food export opportunities
Food export opportunities – Meat substitutes/alternative proteins to Asia
Asia has fast growing demand for meat substitutes and alternative proteins The Asian market for meat substitutes is now estimated to be worth around 4.32 billion USD per annum with an annual growth rate of about 33%. Demand in Asia for such products is driven by health, environmental and food safety concerns.
The product category includes plant based meats and cellular agricultural products such as cultivated meats. The main food export opportunities in order of size are seen as China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Criteria for market assessment are based on market size and innovation, market entry and operations and consumer research.
If you found this article useful we would recommend also reading another of our food industry articles: 20 Countries that import the most food https://blackcat360.com/20-countries-that-import-the-most-food/
Find what you NEED!
Food export opportunities
