The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has congratulated all involved in securing all-island protected geographical indication (PGI) status for Irish Grass Fed Beef.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue today (Wednesday, November 29) announced that the PGI application had successfully concluded.
The final stage came with the publication of the EU Regulation registering the PGI today in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This means that the PGI status will officially come into force 20 days following this publication.
ICMSA
ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that “gratitude was due to all involved in securing this very significant status”.
“Achieving the PGI status showed what could be achieved when all stakeholders in Irish beef subsumed their individual interests towards a greater whole.
“This should signal a similar approach to the deep-seated problems within our beef sector,” he said.
McCormack noted that Irish beef, around 60% of which originates from dairy herds, can expect “a marketing and consumer ‘bump’ on the basis of the PGI”.
He stressed that the benefit of PGI status must find its way back to the farmers “who, it should never be forgotten, were the people ultimately responsible for this excellent product”.
Irish Grass Fed Beef includes cattle that derive at least 90% of their feed intake from grass. This is primarily grazed grass, with winter feeding of silage and hay.
The cattle must spend a minimum of 220 days per year throughout their lifetime grazing pasture.
Only carcasses from certain higher-grade beef animals are eligible to be classified as Irish Grass Fed Beef as follows:
- Steers and heifers aged up to 36 months with conformation better than O- and fat score between 2+ and 4+;
- Beef cows of up to 120 months with conformation better than O+ and with fat score between 2+ and 5.
Bord Bia has said that it will embark on a marketing campaign starting next spring to promote the PGI for Irish grass-fed beef to key customers in European markets.