The latest round of approvals for 14 additional meat factories in Ireland to begin exporting beef to China must bear fruit for farmers, according to independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice.
Speaking on the matter, he said: “While it is important to welcome this advancement, farmers finally need to begin seeing the benefit of these markets.
“The importance of the Chinese market has been underlined consistently by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia and Meat Industry Ireland.
We now have over 20 factories in this country which are allowed to export beef to China, which is a vast market.
The Galway-Roscommon TD stressed that, while it is a good news story, farmers “need to start seeing a real benefit coming from the growing presence of Irish beef in the Chinese market”.
“They need to start seeing extra value.
“Hopefully this will be the start of the beef price in Ireland beginning on an upward trajectory, as beef farmers have been forced to survive on their knees for far too long,” deputy Fitzmaurice concluded.
Beef plants get green light for Chinese market
Yesterday, Thursday, October 31, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed confirmed that the additional beef plants – and two coldstores – which were recently approved to export to China can begin trade into the Chinese market.
Minister Creed announced that “all formalities have now been completed”, and the 14 additional beef plants (plus two coldstores) have been listed on the General Administration of Customs in China (GACC) website.
This, it was added, allows trade from these plants to commence.