UK red meat and dairy exports reached £2bn in H1 2026
The combined value of British red meat and dairy exports reached £2bn (€2.3bn) in the first six months of 2026. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said export activity helped support domestic prices for farmers during a difficult period for international trade.
Red meat exports accounted for £1.1bn, an annual increase of 15%. Exported volumes rose by 8% to almost 293,000 tonnes. Beef shipments were valued at £450m, up 23%, while sheep-meat exports increased by 15% to £401m. Pig-meat exports rose by 5% to £267m. AHDB said European demand was a major factor behind the increases in beef and sheep meat.
Dairy exports were worth £973m, 12% less than in the first half of 2025. The quantity shipped fell by 11% to 614,000 tonnes. AHDB’s international trade specialists said that retaining a broad range of destination markets was important to the performance of British red meat and dairy producers.
Some dairy markets recorded growth. Shipments to destinations including Saudi Arabia rose by almost 36% in value to £14m, while volumes increased by 33% to 4,215 tonnes. Exports to Asia and Oceania reached £79m, an annual increase of 7%, with volumes up 10% to 29,103 tonnes.
China was identified by AHDB as a notable market during the period. The value of dairy shipments there increased by 38% to £28m, and volumes rose by 43% to 10,579 tonnes. Rachael Speed, AHDB’s senior international trade development manager, said: “Despite a challenging first half of 2026, exports continue to play a critical role for the UK dairy sector, especially with growth to key markets like Saudi Arabia and Asia and Oceania.”
AHDB has recently arranged inward visits for beef, lamb and pork, bringing stakeholders from China and the United States to British farms and processors. In October, the organisation plans to host dairy buyers from Asia and Mexico for visits focused on British production systems and standards. During the same month, AHDB will join red meat exporters at SIAL Paris, described by the board as the year’s largest international trade show, while also supporting British dairy exporters attending the event.
