The UK's livestock supply chain had a sharp turnaround to focus on larger exports to Europe in 2008, as the value of the Pound fell against the Euro, the English Beef & Lamb Executive (Eblex) has said.
In total, 81,000 tonnes of beef was exported from Britain throughout 2008; a rise of over a third (36 per cent) on the year previous, while sheep meat exports rose 25 per cent from 69,000 tonnes in 2007 to 86,000 tonnes in 2008.
Such a sudden rise in the demand for livestock highlights why the flexibility of supply chains needs to be so high, and the possibilities available to businesses which ensure that their supply chains are quick to respond to demand.
Updating a supply chain to become leaner or more responsive, however, is a time-consuming task and, while particularly important during a recession, it can nevertheless take a large amount of management hours to carry out.
A third-party supply chain management company, however, can redesign a supply chain externally, in order to save an organisation's management both time and money.
Richard Lowe, the Eblex chief executive, said: "The exchange rate has provided us with a positive platform for boosting UK exports - but work must continue to develop long term export market opportunities for quality beef and lamb."
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