Sterling's collapse against the euro has had a golden lining for beef and sheep producers, latest figures have revealed.

The pound's historic collapse has fuelled an export surge, itself triggering a healthy improvement in domestic market prices.

But, says EBLEX economist Mark Topliff, the remarkable improvement in both trade and prices merely underlines the extent to which grazing livestock production ultimately relies on currency markets.

EBLEX itself has been quick to seize the opportunity the weakened pound has presented, pouring extra resources into a targeted export drive.

The result has been to rebuild overseas trade to an extent not seen since the early 1980s and 1990s.

But all this has come at a time when supplies of beef and lamb are tightening here and British consumers are eating more meat.

Mr Topliff said: "The effect has been to push prime beef and lamb prices up by more than 25 per cent and cull cow prices by more than 50 per cent in a single year.

"This has created the most favourable market conditions for grazing livestock production in almost two decades, and has certainly moved farmgate prices closer to the levels required for sustainable production."

In 2007, for instance, the average prime cattle deadweight price was 205.4 pence.

Last year it reached 259.6p a kilo. The average lamb price rose 26 per cent to 296.8p a kilo.

Meanwhile, the tonnage of Britain's beef and sheep meat exports rose by 32 per cent to 173,600, while in value terms the trade was worth a total of almost £489 million, a 53 per cent improvement.

EBLEX says it expects the trade to remain strong with the pound predicted to show little recovery – apart from the odd, short-term variation – over the next year, meaning producers can look forward to more robust prices.

The only risks are of a consumer reaction against higher shop prices or the arrival of more cheap imports from outside the EU – or of a major disease epidemic.

But, said Mr Topliff: "I cannot stress too much the importance of the lesson to be learned from all this – that producers are critically dependent on export markets and vulnerable to currency movements that have nothing to do with the essential economics of livestock production."

A new EBLEX advertising campaign under the banner "Tough Standards. Tender Results" gets underway this week to push the message about the Quality Standard Mark.

The ads, timed for the start of the barbecue season, are based on consumer research carried out earlier this year showing shoppers had growing concerns about the origin and integrity of food.

EBLEX head of consumer marketing Jane Ritchie-Smith said: "Consumers have told us they are reassured by knowing production standards for beef and lamb are in place – and that these are being independently audited.

"The new ads are designed to engage busy consumers using a light-hearted approach stressing the link between product quality and the scheme's attention to upholding standards."

The new online ads, featuring a steak cooking, have been designed to drive traffic to EBLEX's recently launched consumer website www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk