UK POULTRY exports are winging their way onto the Japanese market, as a result of a new agreement over animal health requirements.

It took four years of complex negotiations between UK and Japanese officials to broker the deal, which was finally reached in April this year.

The first exports of UK poultry began this June, and it is estimated that this new market will boost the UK poultry industry by up to £65m over the next five years.

“The Japanese market will now be able to enjoy more of our unique produce, adding to an already varied collection of UK food, such as pork, beef and lamb, already available to its customers,” said UK food minister, Victoria Prentis. “We are working hard to open new markets for our agri-food businesses, and this is a significant opportunity for the UK poultry sector.”

Minister for International Trade, Ranil Jayawardena, added: “This is fantastic news for farmers and food producers across the whole of the United Kingdom who can now take advantage of this new market and export poultry meat to Japan – the world’s third largest economy – for the first time.

“This announcement builds on our trade deal with Japan which has helped to secure new wins for our brilliant food and drinks industry and boost trade between our two nations, which was worth over £24 billion in 2020 alone."

The UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Richard Irvine said that the arrangement was a 'major achievement' for the UK poultry meat industry, opening up further opportunities into other overseas markets. He said: “This is another positive step towards strengthening the UK’s trade relationship with Japan, in addition to the existing agreements which enable export of pork, beef and lamb from the UK.”

Kate Doherty of The International Meat Trade Association said members can take advantage of the tariff reductions granted by the UK-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement: “The agreement reduces tariffs on frozen chicken cuts from an average of 10% to zero over a number of years,” she explained. “Without the market access Defra has negotiated, UK exporters would not have been able to benefit from these tariff reductions which the government worked to secure.

“This could not have been achieved without the hard work of civil servants and government, in partnership with the UK poultry industry, so our sincere thanks go to all those involved.”

The British Poultry Council chief executive, Richard Griffiths, welcomed the news: “Our industry has worked closely with Government to open doors and create new opportunities for British poultry meat businesses that produce safe, affordable and nutritious food to world-class standards. We look forward to carrying on pursuing new markets to continue putting UK poultry meat on every table around the world,” he concluded.