Far East market reopens to beef

A MARKET for Irish beef that was worth in the region of €15.25 million when it was closed eight years ago is to be reopened.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith announced yesterday that the Philippines removed a ban on the importation of Irish-European Union beef.

The ban was put in place in November 2000 following the BSE crisis in Europe at the time. More than 12,000 tonnes of Irish beef had been exported to the Philippines in 1999.