Defra accused of lacking interest in restoring pork exports to China by Cranswick CEO

But Defra has responded that they are “prioritising” the issue.

In October 2020, Cranswick voluntarily suspended its Norfolk facility’s Chinese export licence following a Covid outbreak. While technical audits to resume trade were passed in early 2021 the suspension remains in place.

The suspension also separately applies to a plant in Brechin owned by the Brown Food Group and the now-closed Ashton-under-Lyne plant which was operated by a firm called Pilgrim’s.

The National Pig Association estimated in 2021 that the situation was collectively costing the plants around £50m a year.

In early November last year, then Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Thérèse Coffey raised the issue during a visit to China but she was replaced by Steve Barclay in a reshuffle later the same month.

Cranswick’s annual results, published this week, said there had been a 31.1 per cent decrease in Far East export revenue and highlighted the lack of an export licence for the Norfolk plant.

They said: “It has been nearly four years since we voluntarily suspended this licence, and we remain fully committed to resolving this issue.

"We will continue to raise the matter with Defra and other relevant government departments at every opportunity until the matter is successfully resolved.”

When asked by The Yorkshire Post what the delay in resolving the issue is, Mr Couch said: “It is mainly at a Government level. We really struggle to get them interested in our sector.

"If they could open up engagement between Westminster and Beijing it would ease the pressure. Much of this is out of our hands.

"We have made representations at a business level, even at a Chinese government level, but unfortunately our own government doesn’t seem to have too much of an interest in it. That is a real frustration we have had for years since that period of suspension.

"We have spoken at length with Government to try to get them engaged but it has not proved successful today. We keep pressing the case.

"It is not helped by the amount of changes we have had at ministerial level. But we keep pressing the case and we remain positive we will get a good outcome.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of the Chinese market to our pork sector – which is why we have prioritised this issue and are working closely with the British Embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Government, with the aim of securing the resumption of pork exports from the suspended sites as soon as possible.”

The Government department is understood to have raised the issue on multiple occasions with Chinese officials, as well as via the World Trade Organisation.