The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has said that the success of the protected geographical indication (PGI) status for ‘Irish Grass Fed Beef’ will be based on higher returns for farmers.
The European Commission today (Wednesday, November 15), confirmed that it has finalised the opposition procedure on the application for an all-island PGI for grass-fed Irish beef.
The three-month opposition procedure closed on November 4. No opposition was received and the application moves to the final stage of adoption and registration.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said the way is now cleared for the final stage of adoption and publication by the commission which should conclude by mid-December.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will engage with Bord Bia to establish a monitoring group in anticipation of the conclusion of the process.
PGI
The president of the ICMSA, Pat McCormack, has welcomed “another step forward” in the journey to secure PGI status for Irish grass-fed beef.
He said the achievement of the status would represent a very significant acknowledgement of the quality of beef production system in Ireland.
“ICMSA has strongly supported efforts to achieve EU recognition of the Irish beef production system, a system which is unique – not only in the EU – but possibly on a global basis.
“Our cattle spend most of their life at grass and eating a grass-based diet delivers a unique high quality beef product,” McCormack said.
“It’s essential that we push that application through to a successful conclusion that delivers that PGI status and then ’springboard’ off this with a significant promotional campaign for Irish beef in early 2024.
“As ICMSA always stresses: the success of all this effort can only be gauged by the higher returns it delivers to the farmers producing the beef,” he said.
Bord Bia chief executive Jim O’ Toole said earlier that marketing plans are already being developed for the PGI.
He said that Bord Bia would leverage this opportunity for the benefit of Irish beef farmers and the wider beef sector.