Ireland is in a position to respond to any uplift in Chinese demand for beef following the suspension of Brazilian beef exports to China.
That’s according to the senior manager of Bord Bia’s Meat and Livestock team, Joe Burke.
Irish beef regained access to the Chinese market in early January of this year.
Earlier this week, authorities in Brazil confirmed a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a nine-year-old male bovine animal, discovered on what was described as “a small property” in the state of Para, in the north of the country.
Under the protocol between the two countries, Brazilian beef exports to China have been suspended following the confirmation of the atypical BSE case.
Commenting on the development, Bord Bia’s Joe Burke said: “This is potentially significant for the Chinese beef market since Brazil accounted for more than 40% of total beef imports there in 2022.”
Burke explained that in the short-term, it is likely that Chinese buyers “will reach out to other suppliers, including Uruguay, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand”.
He further added that he expects Brazil will not be excluded from the Chinese beef market for very long.
“Based on past experience and its importance as a beef supplier to China, Brazil is unlikely to be excluded from the Chinese beef market for very long.”
He outlined that while Brazilian beef is excluded from the market in China “it is expected that Brazilian beef exports will be more competitive in other markets, including Asian countries such as Hong Kong and the Philippines as well as the USA, Middle East, North Africa and Europe”.
Concluding, Burke highlighted that the development could have negative side effects for the beef trade elsewhere.
He said: “With Brazilian beef exports expected to be more competitive in other markets, this side-effect could dampen any direct benefit that Irish beef exports experience in China.”