UK exporters ‘meat’ appetite for beef, lamb and pork in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire

Ten exporters from nine UK businesses took part in the mission, where they met with six buyers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and a further 15 during three days in Ghana.

They also flew the flag for high-quality British beef, lamb and pork at a reception in each country, hosted by their respective High Commissioners.

Dr Awal Fuseini, AHDB lead on exports to West Africa, said:

“Exports and international market development have been highlighted by our levy payers as one of the key areas where AHDB supports them.

“International trade missions like this play a key role in helping our exporters nurture and build on opportunities for our high-quality, sustainably produced products on the global stage.

“The mission to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire was a great success and perfectly illustrated this work in practice.”

Our Prospects for UK agri-food exports analysis highlights opportunities to expand the amount of commodity-level red meat the UK currently exports to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, with offal being a key product for both markets.

In 2022, UK exports of red meat to Ghana were worth £7.9m, while the value of red meat exports to Côte d’Ivoire stood at £2.3m. The UK is the top supplier of sheep meat to Ghana, while pork is the main red meat shipped from the UK to Côte d’Ivoire, with potential to increase its market share.

Dr Fuseini added: “West Africa is one of our key target markets and we already ship beef, lamb and sheep meat products to the region. We have a foot in the door and our red meat exporters are in a strong position to grow their market presence in the region as it develops further and the population expands.”