Minister welcomes new £19m deal that will see Mexico import Northern Irish pork
The 12 businesses include Cranswick Country Foods PLC, based in Hull, Watton and Ballymena; Karro Food Group in Cookstown, and Interfrigo Ltd in Antrim.
The businesses will now be able to export pork, offal and edible by-products, bringing British pig farmers a return on parts that are less popular in the UK but which Mexican consumers enjoy as part of classical buche meat dishes.
Government figures estimate that Mexico's pork market has grown by 5.4% annually between 2019 and 2024, with industry figures expect the deal to bring in £19m over the first five years.
Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said: 'I am delighted that Mexico has granted approval for Northern Ireland to export pork to its markets.
'This is testament to the exceptional standards we have in place here in Northern Ireland to produce high quality meat at an international level and demonstrates our commitment to supporting our important agri-food industry. Working together with industry, government and key stakeholders was essential to reach this agreement.'
Daniel Zeichner, minister for food security and rural affairs, said the deal is a 'tremendous win for our pork producers and builds on our recent success in resuming exports to China'.
'It demonstrates this government's unwavering commitment to securing better trade deals for British farmers and food producers and will boost their incomes as part of our plan for change,' he added.
Exports minister Gareth Thomas added: 'British pork is the best in the world and this £20m export win will boost farming and rural communities across the nation.
'The removal of yet another trade barrier is testament to our Trade Strategy which focusses on quick deals that deliver faster benefits to UK businesses and shows how this government is boosting exports as part of our Plan for Change while upholding our world-leading food standards.'
This successful outcome follows eight years of negotiations between Mexican and UK authorities led by Defra, including the Food Standards Agency, Stormont's Department of Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs, and industry partnerships with valuable support from the Department for Business and Trade and the FCDO.
The Government's trade strategy, published earlier this year, is aimed at boosting exports and protecting UK firms at a time of growing uncertainty for global businesses following Donald Trump's tariffs.
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