Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue will lead a “major” agri-food trade mission to the US this week, specifically to the cities of Chicago and the country’s capital Washington DC., as well as the state of Ohio.
The mission will be carried out with the co-operation of Bord Bia. Minister of State for new market development Martin Heydon will also be in the US next week, visiting Texas before moving just south of the border to lead a mission to Mexico.
Minister McConalogue has also announced that an agreement has been reached with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a ‘veterinary health certificate’ for the export of Irish sheepmeat to the country.
Securing agreement on a bilateral health certificate allows Irish sheepmeat plants to formally apply for approval to export to the US. Last December, the USDA removed restrictions on exports of most sheep and goat products from the EU.
“This agreement provides full access for Irish sheepmeat to the US market. It marks another welcome move in the diversification of overseas markets for Irish sheepmeat in line with the Food Vision 2030 goal of accessing and developing new market opportunities in priority markets,” Minister McConalogue said.
“The speedy agreement on certification conditions comes after many years of preparatory work, in particular USDA recognition in 2019 of the equivalence of Ireland’s sheepmeat inspection system with US domestic standards,” he added.
“It is now up to industry, working with my department, to apply for and complete the plant approval process, over the coming months. I hope to see exporters take advantage of this niche opportunity as soon as possible,” the minister said.
According to Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy, Bord Bia research shows that lamb consumption is growing among US consumers, particularly in the younger age categories.
Bord Bia is set to launch a three-year EU co-funded beef and lamb promotion initiative in the US called ‘Working with Nature’.
Bord Bia’s market insights show that import volumes of sheepmeat to the US have increased from 103,527t in 2015 to 166,165t in 2021.
Of last year’s imports, around 68% were frozen and 32% were chilled. Australia and New Zealand currently account for the vast majority of imports to the US, representing 98% of all imports in volume terms.
Commenting on the wider purposes of the trade mission, Minister McConalogue said: “The US is a key market for Irish agri-food exports, with exports valued at €1.3 billion last year.
The minister will meet with his US counterpart, Secretary for Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as well other government figures and members of Congress (the US equivalent to the Oireachtas).
“Meeting with Secretary Vilsack and other key players from the government and Congress is vital in maintaining our already excellent relations with the US,” he said.
Minister for State Heydon commented: “It is important to touch base with our growing markets in the southwest of the US – especially Texas – and Mexico to underline the strong credential of our agri-food exports.”
He highlighted that Mexico is a potentially important destination for Irish pigmeat.
Bord Bia’s McCarthy highlighted that the US is Ireland’s second largest export market after the UK.
“Our focus this week is on business generation and conversion; building the reputation of Irish food and drink exports; and identifying value-added opportunities for exports,” McCarthy noted.