Reporting from Cairo, Egypt
After what has been described as a very successful and positive trade mission to Algeria, the Irish delegation – consisting of representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Bord Bia – has now made its way to Cairo, in Egypt, to build on the first leg of the mission in Algeria.
While in Cairo, Bord Bia is hosting technical seminars and business-to-business meetings between Irish exporters and potential customers.
The business-to-business introductory meetings are the key focus of this trade mission, with a total of eight Irish dairy companies – and members of the Livestock Exporters Association – in attendance.
Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy speaking at the Algeria – Ireland Dairy Forum on the first leg of the trade mission to Algeria and Egypt
Regarding Irish live exports, the shipment of Irish cattle to Egypt ceased in January of 1997 in the wake of the BSE crisis.
However, the market to Egypt officially re-opened in 2016 and three health certificates were updated in April 2019 for the export of breeding, fattening and slaughter-weight cattle.
Despite this, there has been no consignments of Irish cattle shipped to the north African country yet.
According to Bord Bia figures, total Egyptian cattle imports are estimated to be in the region of 140,000 head – consisting of male cattle in the form of young bulls and steers (95%) and in-calf heifers (5%).
However, the Egyptian government has developed a strategy to repopulate their national dairy herd by encouraging imports – over the next three years – of over one million dairy heifers with good genetics, that are suitable for milk production, but also provide a dual-purpose service in terms of beef production.
Like Algeria, Bord Bia hosted three livestock companies from Egypt on a business trip – visiting farms and export assembly centres around Ireland in November 2019.
These exporters have a combined import requirement of 60,000 head and are currently mainly sourcing from South America.
It is hoped that headway made during the visit to Ireland can be progressed during this trade mission.