Bord Bia has said it will “reactivate” its €1.6 million promotional campaign for Irish beef and lamb in China, following confirmation that beef exports to that country can now resume.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue announced today that Chinese authorities will allow exports of frozen boneless beef to resume, following the suspension of exports in November.
Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole has welcomed the lifting of the suspension, saying the decision “allows our beef exporters to immediately recommence trade with their Chinese customers”.
“In response to today’s news, Bord Bia has reactivated its €1.6 million EU co-funded beef and lamb campaigns in China.
“As part of the campaign, we will be inviting Irish exporters to exhibit at SIAL China, a high profile meat trade show held in Shangai in May. We will also host Irish beef information seminars in Beijing in March and Shanghai in May, inviting beef buyers and stakeholders,” O’Toole added.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), over 3,200t of Irish beef, valued at €19.7 million, was exported to China in 2023 prior to the November suspension.
Speaking from Shanghai, Bord Bia’s China manager Conor O’Sullivan said: “Since beef was first granted access to the Chinese market in 2018, Bord Bia’s Shanghai office and Irish exporters have been building close trading relationships with Chinese customers.
O’Sullivan said that there was an “immediate interest” from Chinese buyers after the previous suspension (which began in May 2020) came to an end in January 2023.
“The medium term forecast for the Chinese beef market is positive as we expect Chinese customers demand for beef steadily throughout the year. I look forward to once again working with Irish exporters to build the long-term opportunities for Irish beef in the Chinese market,” O’Sullivan added.
Access to China a ‘breath of relief’
The reopening of the Chinese market for Irish beef has also been welcomed by farm organisations, as well as politicians.
Independent Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan said she “completely agrees” with the view of Minister McConalogue that the decision by Chinese officials is a “clear vote of confidence” in Ireland’s food safety systems and in the output of its beef sector.
“This is an excellent outcome for our farmers and an important endorsement of the international integrity of Ireland’s world class animal health surveillance system,” she said.
“We know that the beef export market to China is worth at least €40 million so it was vital that this area of exports was not closed off for any significant period of time.”
In 2019 – the only full year in which Ireland had uninterrupted access to the Chines market for frozen boneless beef – Irish exporters sent around €40 million worth of product to the Asian country.
“I hope that, in the…event of any further such cases arising of suspected atypical BSE, that the Chinese authorities will now be in a position to act even more swiftly than it has to date, given the vote of confidence our food production systems have received today,” Nolan said.