HCC team up with tourism to expand market for Welsh red meat

A campaign to encourage tourism businesses across Wales to use locally sourced Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef has been launched by Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

HCC chairman Rees Roberts confirmed the campaign would kick-off in 2007, at the red meat body's Annual General Meeting last Friday (1 December). Discussions will now take place between HCC and tourism industry leaders in Wales to see how a unified approach can be achieved.

The move follows the success of HCC's National Beef Day, which saw Welsh Beef on the menu of public sector bodies across Wales and produced 16 events across the 22 unitary authorities.

Commenting at the meeting Roberts said: "I am pleased to announce a new initiative by HCC to bring together an all-Wales foodservice project that will encourage and help to build links with tourism businesses and food outlets across Wales during the next twelve months."

He went on to add: "Tourism leaders here in Wales already acknowledge the value of local food to the enhancement of sense of place and the visitor experience- and they know change is in the air and that the public, in ever greater numbers, are searching out traditional values in food rearing," he added.

Speaking at the AGM, Roberts added that HCC's links with the Welsh Assembly Government through the Farming Connect Sheep and Beef Development Programme had made a contribution to the industry that was the envy of competitors in other countries.

"In many respects, the industry in Wales is leading the way- video imaging analysis, the woodchip bedding project, parasitology; our ground-breaking Welsh Beef Quality Improvement Project which provides cash grants for farmers to help to buy prime bulls for breeding; our demonstration farm network," he said.

"These ground-breaking projects are here in Wales because HCC has been able to make the most of the cost effective delivery of a full range of support and technology transfer activities that are available to beef and sheep farmers through Farming Connect - a valuable scheme offered by the Welsh Assembly Government and the envy of many other producing countries."

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