YORKSHIRE lamb could soon be on sale in Greece thanks to links forged by a livestock farmer.

David Hugill, who farms sheep and cattle at Scugdale, near Swainby, identified a potential market for premium lamb while in Athens on a Nuffield scholarship last year.

After months of whipping up support, including funding, he welcomed a Greek meat importer and Athens-based British meat representative Irene Watson to North Yorkshire last week.

They toured the area, visiting farms, abattoirs and wholesalers and met dozens of farmers.

As a direct result of the three-day visit, Mr Hugill hopes to send a trial wagonload of Yorkshire lamb to Greece within the next few weeks.

That would be followed up by a promotional display in a Greek butcher's and, possibly, a trade stand at one of the premier meat exhibitions in Athens.

Funding for the visit came from North Yorkshire County Council, the Stokesley branch of the National Farmers' Union, Dales Quality Meat, Smiths Gore farm management, the North York Moors Quality Sheep Association, the North York Moors National Park and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

The itinerary included visits to McIntyre's abattoir at Bainbridge, in Wensleydale, farmers at Osmotherley, Machin's and the auction mart at Thirsk, the North York Moors national park, Stockton meat market and Cleveland Wholesale Meat Company.

"They were greatly impressed with the care McIntyre's puts into its whole operation and they enjoyed quality lamb served for dinner at the Three Tuns, Osmotherley," said Mr Hugill. "It was a wonderful chance for farmers to meet the delegates and I was delighted by the turnout - at Bransdale on the North York Moors, about 20 farmers were waiting to meet us.

"There was genuine interest from the producers in getting quality lamb to Greece at a good price. The only thing that would hold it back this year is that our lambs are such a good trade at the moment that they wouldn't be competitive in Greece - but that's not a bad problem to have."

Basil Garoufilidis, the Greek meat importer, seemed genuinely interested in buying lamb from Yorkshire and already deals with meat from Wales and France.

"He was an amazing character," said Mr Hugill. "He had two mobile phones and constantly traded in meat the whole time he was here. I heard him speaking to buyers in French, English, Greek and a bit of Spanish."

The delegates enjoyed some traditional Yorkshire entertainment on the Thursday evening. "I ended up having to translate On Ilkley Moor Baht'at for our Greek visitor," said Mr Hugill.