Sial: Paris food fair hit by strikes

Strike action by French workers has hit business at the Sial food fair in Paris.

About 148,000 visitors had been expected at the five-day event at Parc des Expositions, but exhibitors reported a slow trade and fewer visitors than they had hoped.

The strike is in response to the French government’s plans to increase the pension age from 60 to 62. On Monday 18 October convoys of lorries blocked road networks and a day later the public transport system was severely disrupted.

Remy Fourrier, who was at the exhibition on behalf of red meat levy bodies, Hybu Cig Cymru and Eblex, said: “A lot of people haven’t come. They were worried they wouldn’t be able to get back to their offices or homes from the exhibition centre.

“It’s very disappointing, the impact has been significant.”

But Red Meat Promotion Wales (Hybu Cig Cymru) remained positive. It chose the international venue to unveil plans for a new London Welsh Lamb Club to boost consumption of Welsh lamb in the UK capital.

More than 50 restaurants in London have already joined the club. It will be officially launched by the Prince of Wales at Clarence House on 28 October.

Rees Roberts, who is at Sial with other representatives of the Welsh red meat promotion body, said research has shown that lamb produced in Wales is the leading lamb brand in London and the south of England.

“I’m delighted that so many London restaurants have already signed up for the club with many more waiting in the wings,” he said.

Mr Roberts said HCC’s long-term ambition was to create similar clubs in cities and regions across the UK.

The export market is also an important one for Welsh lamb and beef. Last year exports of these meats were valued at around £140m. Mr Roberts said France’s own situation in relation to lamb production should serve as a warning to the government in Wales. France is only 40% self sufficient in lamb, relying mainly on imports from the UK and Ireland, because fewer farmers are producing meat.

“It is a lesson for us, lose our critical mass and we won’t get it back,” said Mr Roberts. “We must encourage our government to support production as well as conservation.”