Ensuring the trade of Irish beef to China resumes “as soon as possible” will be “a priority” for Meat Industry Ireland (MII), according to MII director, Dale Crammond.
In a statement to Agriland, the MII director said that “overall, 2023 has been a positive year for the beef sector”.
The MII director said that the suspension of trade to China following the single atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was “disappointing”, but affirmed the industry body’s support to restoring trade to the Asian country saying: “It will be a priority for MII, working with the government, to ensure that trade resumes as soon as possible.”
Commenting on challenges closer to home, the MII director said Brexit-related changes, and the requirement for health certification for UK exports from January 31, 2024 “will challenge the industry from an administration and cost perspective”.
He expressed his confidence in MII members overcoming these challenges, saying: “I have no doubt our members will rise to the challenge as they have always done”.
During the year, MII published it’s Beef Sector Sustainability Report, and the MII members “continue to integrate the outputs of this report into their own sustainability agendas”.
“Farmers are responding to the changing requirements of the marketplace, stepping up their efforts in adapting the key measures necessary to deliver on Government sustainability targets.”
Crammond praised the rollout of the National Genotyping Programme (NGP) earlier this year, saying: “This will help drive genetic improvement and ensure better integration between the dairy and beef sectors.
“In addition, and over the medium-term, it will help to get animals to appropriate finishing weights earlier, thus reducing absolute emissions,” he added.
Commenting on the challenges ahead for 2024, Crammond said: “MII and it’s members will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that we deliver an integrated livestock sector as a whole, and continue to drive improved sustainability of our sector.
“As always, our focus will be to drive new and improved market access internationally.”
DAFM update on regaining Chinese beef market access
The latest update from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on the resumption of Irish beef market access to China outlined that the epidemiological report on the Atypical BSE case was submitted to the Chinese authorities on December 5, 2023.
DAFM met with a delegation from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), which is the Chinese body that has responsibility for customs and animal product imports on December 7.
At the meeting, DAFM delivered a detailed presentation on the effectiveness of Ireland’s BSE control and surveillance programmes.
According to DAFM, the timelines for the resumption of trade “are a matter for the Chinse authorities” and the department has said it is “continuing to engage with them to secure resumption as quickly as possible”.