Emerald Isle Beef Producers has confirmed to Agriland that a container with 20t of Irish beef is currently travelling to Algeria.
This is the first consignment under a slaughter contract agreed between the Irish producer organisation (PO) and an Algerian buyer, Al Mawashi Group.
Established in 2019, Emerald Isle Beef Producers is one of Ireland’s first beef producer organisations comprised of several hundred beef farmers from right across the island of Ireland.
Irish beef
Eamon Corley, one of the founders of Emerald Isle Beef Producers, believes this is among the first containers of Irish beef shipped to Algeria since the 1990s.
He said that the certified Halal beef, from continental bulls and steers, is being transported in vacuum packs.
Corley said that the cattle were secured through Emerald Isle Beef Producers from farms in counties Galway, Meath and Clare.
He explained that the producer organisation is now hoping to send containers of fresh Irish beef to Algeria on a weekly basis, if this trial run is successful.
Buyers
In September, three Algerian cattle buyers were hosted by Emerald Isle Beef Producers for a two-day visit to Ireland.
The buyers were looking for 6,000 finished continental bulls and bullocks, another 6,000 continental weanlings and for 1,500 in-calf Friesian heifers for export to Algeria.
It is understood that the buyers had been sourcing cattle from France for the past three years.
Corley said that a live export agreement between the producer organisation and the Algerian buyers is still being worked on.
He said that a pricing structure has been agreed and a draft contract is still under discussion.
In the event that a deal is secured, Emerald Isle Beef Producers will then arrange a meeting with all farmers who have indicated that they have suitable cattle for export.