Marketing Cornish products abroad

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Local producers and food and drink businesses are able to apply for funding to help promote their products across Europe and rest of the world thanks to an EU scheme.

Dan Rogerson MP addresses the EU protected foods conference
Dan Rogerson MP addresses the EU protected foods conference

Up to 60% of the cost of marketing the likes of meat, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables and products with protected geographical status such as the Cornish Pasty, clotted cream and Cornish sardines is available through the ‘Enjoy! It’s from Europe’ scheme to promote European produce.

The scheme is designed to raise awareness and increase sales of EU food products.

Producers can bid through the Rural Payments Agency for funding to promote their goods to other European countries or to the rest of the world.

North Cornwall MP and Liberal Democrat Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dan Rogerson said: “Cornwall produces some of the finest food and drink in the country, and it is right that we do all we can to support high quality, locally produced, fresh and seasonal food, as well as to back jobs in the businesses that produce and sell it.

“I spoke about the campaign to give protected status to the Cornish Pasty in my first ever speech in Parliament in 2005 and I am glad that now traditional local products like Cornish Pasties, clotted cream and Cornish sardines which have been awarded European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status can also benefit from this support to help boost sales and exports outside the UK.

“I hope that local businesses consider applying for funding through this scheme to help raise awareness and sales of Cornish products across Europe and indeed the rest of the world.”

The deadline for applying to the Rural Payments Agency is February 28. Applicants are expected to fund at least a 20% of the total cost of the programme and can choose either to pay the remaining balance themselves or to finance it by industry levy.

For further details, click here.