Spanish Red Meat Buying Group Visits NI

US - Nineteen senior buyers from 11 of Spain’s top red meat retailers and wholesalers will be visiting Northern Ireland next week to develop business with local suppliers. According to a Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) bulletin, the Spanish group, the biggest-ever red meat buying mission to Northern Ireland, includes major international retailers such as Carrefour and Eroski along with representatives from companies based in many of Spain’s top business centres.

30 June 2008

3 minute read

North America

The visit, organised jointly by Invest Northern Ireland and the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), follows a visit that both organisations organised for eight of Northern Ireland meat processing companies to Madrid in May. It follows similar marketing initiatives to Italy, Sweden and Denmark, which enabled seven Northern Ireland processors to develop business in these markets.

The Spanish buying delegation will be in Northern Ireland from 25 to 27 June for a range of activities including 88 one-to-one meetings with local red meat companies. The group will also be visiting a local beef farm, meat plants and a major supermarket. Meetings with industry representatives including the Ulster Farmers’ Union and NIAPA have also been lined up. Maynard Mawhinney, Invest NI’s Food Director, announcing details of the delegation with David Rutledge, LMC Chief Executive, said: “This is a very impressive delegation that includes top international retailers along with many of Spain’s most important meat wholesale organisations.“It’s an excellent example of the work that we have been doing with partners such as LMC in promoting Northern Ireland food abroad and in creating opportunities for red meat processors, one of our most important sectors, to meet major European buyers on a one-to-one basis and thereby to expand export sales”.

“I am confident that the achievements of previous buying visits from Italy Sweden and Denmark, which generated new business worth more than £10 million, will be repeated when the Spanish delegation sees the quality of meat available from our processors,” he added. Mr Rutledge said:“During this inward trade mission we as an industry will be able to demonstrate our know-how in real business environments and demonstrate the way our industry works which will help to shape export strategies in another foreign marketplace”.

The Spanish retail delegation includes senior buyers from: Carrefour, French-owned, based in Madrid and one of Europe’s biggest food retailers. Eroski, Spain's third grocery retailer and based in Bilbao Sabeco, part of the French retail chain Alcampo, operating a neighbourhood supermarket format and headquartered in Zaragoza. Grupo Norteños, Spain's leading beef wholesaler, based in Madrid.DCA 85, meat wholesaler from Madrid specialising in beef. Carnicas Felix, meat wholesaler from Valencia. Diocarnes, meat wholesaler from Madrid. Sucarn, meat wholesaler from Barcelona.

Invitation to Open Meet at LMC

The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) is committed to maintaining an open discussion with its stakeholders. As a result, the LMC will hold an Open Meeting on the 16 July at which it will launch the 2007/2008 Annual Report. An opportunity will be provided for discussion of issues of importance to the industry. The meeting will be held at Lissue House, 31 Ballinderry Rd, Lisburn BT28 2SL.

The meeting will begin at 9.30am and will finish around 11:30am.There will be a short coffee break during the meeting. To register for this meeting please RSVP to Kirsty Weir: [email protected] or to the postal address above by Friday 4 July, providing your full name and postal address. Only those who have registered beforehand will be able to attend the meeting.

The meeting will involve presentations by Owen Brennan, Chairman of the LMC and David Rutledge, Chief Executive of the LMC. These will be followed by the Technical and Marketing Directors, Dr Mike Tempest and Naomi Waite.A question and answer session will follow and the opportunity to speak informally to delegates, LMC Board Members and staff.This is an opportunity to raise topics of interest. If you would like to attend, please RSVP as above by Friday 4 July.