Welcome for African trade

THE announcement by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan of a decision by South Africa to reopen its market to Irish beef has been welcomed by Meat Industry Ireland but the industry says that it is awaiting details on the trade conditions applying to the reopening.

Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland said that: “The key objective of the market access group (Department, MII & Bord Bia) has been to refocus efforts on opening key traditional international markets for Irish beef on the most favourable terms possible.“

He added “It is essential that we build on the success with Saudi Arabia and South Africa by maintaining pressure for a reopening of other non-EU markets including Indonesia, the Gulf States, Israel, Japan and China.