The decision by the Brazilian authorities to stop beef exports to China presents a “huge opportunity” for the Irish beef sector, the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) president, Tim Cullinan, has said.
Following much speculation, it was confirmed over the weekend that Brazil has halted its beef exports to China following confirmation of two cases of ‘atypical’ bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) at separate abattoirs.
Commenting on the move, Cullinan said: “The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, must now redouble efforts to secure an immediate return of Irish beef to the Chinese market.
“We should be making the most of this decision by Brazil. It’s a chance to gain a foothold in a market where demand is growing for quality food.”
In the first six months of 2021, Brazil exported nearly 400,000t of beef to China, underlining the scale of the market that exists there.
Also commenting on the news, the IFA’s Livestock Chairman, Brendan Golden, said the Chinese market for Irish beef in the first six months of 2020 had grown in value by over 60% to €22.5million, compared to the previous year.
“This is a clear indication of the strength of demand and potential for Irish beef exports.”
“There’s huge demand for beef in China. It’s critical that Irish farmers who produce to the most exacting standards in the world are in a position to avail of this.”
The livestock chairman said the Minister for Agriculture and Government “cannot let the opportunity pass” and outlined they “must immediately secure the return of access for Irish beef to this strong and growing market”.
In May last year, it was announced that Irish beef exports to China would be “temporarily suspended” due to the recent discovery of atypical BSE in a cow in Co. Tipperary.
However, in May of this year, it was announced that Ireland had attained official status from the OIE of ‘negligible risk status for BSE’.