The government “at the highest level” has been called on by Meat Industry Ireland (MII) to intervene in a diplomatic effort to secure the re-opening of the Chinese market for Irish beef.
In a statement following the latest meeting of the Beef Market Taskforce today (Thursday, December 17), MII first commented on the situation with the Chinese market, saying:
“Trade has now been blocked for over six months and processors are anxious to regain access to this important new market to which trade was suspended due to a single atypical case of BSE detected as part of ongoing surveillance.
Huge efforts were made by our members and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to maximise the number of Irish beef processing plants eligible to export to China in August 2019 and good progress was being made in increasing the volume of Irish beef destined for Chinese customers.
“However, the ongoing suspension of trade has hampered the development of the market for Irish beef at this critical early stage. Diversification of our market portfolio for Irish beef is critical in the face of major Brexit uncertainty.
“We need trade to resume without further delay.”
On Brexit, MII said it emphasised the importance of the EU and UK concluding a trade deal before the transition period ends on December 31.
In the event of the worst case scenario of a no trade deal, and the imposition of tariffs on trade, MII highlighted that a tariff support mechanism must be introduced to ensure that Irish meat exports can continue to supply the UK market and that Irish beef maintains its hard won position in the UK supply chain.
Tariffs are a tax on trade and this is where the solution needs to be targeted. Our objective must be to ensure that our product can continue to compete in the UK market and that this important market is maintained for Irish beef producers and exporters.
MII also welcomed the presentation of a report to the Beef Taskforce by Grant Thornton on an independent review of the market and customer requirements of Irish beef.
The meat processor representative body claimed:
“The report found that all specification criteria linked to the Quality Payment System and in-spec bonus have a marketplace demand, evidenced by Grant Thornton’s engagement with customers for Irish beef in the domestic, UK, European and international markets.
This report is a further independent validation of the market specification requirements that need to be met if Irish beef is to secure and retain the best customer base across our markets.
“The report also emphasised the evolving nature of market requirements. Producing cattle that meet the requirements of the maximum number of customers remains the best approach to secure the best returns from the marketplace,” the MII statement concluded.