The Farmers' Union of Wales today hailed First Minister Carwyn Jones' official backing for the union's efforts to secure a market in China for Welsh Lamb.
"Our bid to put Welsh Lamb on the menu in China began at the union's annual Farmhouse Breakfast Week function in the House of Lords during January 2010 when UK Chinese Embassy minister Zhou Xiaoming, who is in charge of all trade and investment issues between China and the UK including agriculture, was guest speaker," said union president Gareth Vaughan.
"The function was hosted by the late Lord Livsey of Talgarth, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnor whose successor at Westminster, Roger Williams, led a delegation to the Chinese Embassy in London three years ago to promote Welsh Lamb.
"Mr Williams suggested we invite a Chinese Embassy representative and Zhou Xiaoming sat on the top table alongside myself and Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) chairman Rees Roberts who invited him to visit last July's Royal Welsh Show where we had further discussions with him.
"The FUW has played a key role in this potentially hugely exciting trade opportunity and we are delighted that Carwyn Jones has already met a top level official from China as part of the Welsh Government's efforts to open up lamb exports to the country."
The First Minister held talks last week in Cardiff with Xiang Yuzhang, Chief Inspector of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine (AQSIQ) in the People's Republic of China. AQSIQ controls the import and export of food to mainland China.
Welsh farmers are currently not allowed to sell lamb meat to China but Mr Jones said: "We know there is an appetite for Welsh lamb across the globe and since 2008 we have been exporting to Hong Kong with great success.
"We now want to build on this and move closer to the prospect of importing Welsh lamb to the potentially huge Chinese market."
HCC chief executive Gwyn Howells said market research carried out by HCC shows there is a major demand in China for Welsh Lamb.
"If we are successful in gaining access to the Chinese market it will be a major boost for the 33,000 people who work in the Welsh red meat industry and for the economy of Wales as a whole."