Wales Deputy Minister for Farming and Food Rebecca Evans said six companies from her country will be traveling to Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Expo taking place 26 to 28 April in Brussels, Belgium.
Evans said on 4 April the expo provided a forum for Welsh seafood companies to show they are “up there with the best in the world,” according to Fish News EU.
“Wales has a remarkable range of highly innovative seafood producers, who are making their mark internationally and whose brands are renowned across the globe for their high quality and for the sustainable way in which they are produced,” Evans said. “This is also evident in the number of Welsh produce securing Protected Food Name status.”
In 2015, the country’s shellfish cultivation alone was valued at GBP 12 million (USD 16.9 million, EUR 14.8 million), and around 80 percent of Welsh seafood is exported to mainland Europe, Fish News EU reported. In her comments, Evans spoke of the importance of the seafood sector in Wales’ growth plans for its food industry.
“We are aiming to grow the food and drink industry in Wales by 30 percent to GBP 7 billion (USD 9.86 billion, EUR 8.65 billion) by the year 2020 by working in partnership with industry and I hope attending events like this can provide an international platform to showcase the very best Wales has to offer, as well as raise the profile of our brand,” Evans said.
Six companies will head to Brussels for Seafood Expo Global to exhibit before more than 25,000 buyers and suppliers from 150 countries around the world, Evans said.
“We know the quality of Welsh food and drink is up there with the best in the world, and having a presence at events such as the Global Seafood Expo gives us a great platform to promote this,” she said.
