James Parsons.
Britain's arrangements for leaving the European Union (EU) by the summer of 2019 and progress towards an EU-NZ free trade agreement were on the agenda when Beef and Lamb New Zealand executives met British and EU farming representatives during a northern hemisphere visit.
Chairman James Parsons and southern South Island
farmer director Andrew Morrison were in Europe last week to discuss areas of common interest, including lamb consumption and maintaining year-round supply for European consumers.
"We're, of course, keenly interested in Britain's exit from the EU and how this will be negotiated and we'll be getting a feel for the impact on market dynamics as we meet with agricultural industry counterparts in both the UK and continental Europe," Mr Parsons said.
The EU is New Zealand's most valuable red meat market, accounting for more than $2billion in trade last year.
