Opening of Chinese market boosts Irish livestock breeding industry

THE opening of the Chinese market for Irish bovine semen was welcomed yesterday by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

He said it is a very significant development for the Irish livestock breeding sector because, for the first time, this large and potentially lucrative market will be available to Irish companies that can offer quality genetics in Irish bovine semen to Chinese customers.

Mr Smith said in order to allow the export of bovine semen from Ireland to China, his department had to satisfy the requirements of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China.

Access was secured, he said, following two visits to Ireland by Chinese officials who carried out detailed and rigorous inspections of Irish companies that wished to export bovine semen to China.

Two companies, South Eastern Cattle Breeding Society, Thurles, and the National Cattle Breeding Centre, Enfield, have now been approved for export of semen.

Mr Smith said he was confident more Irish companies would be approved in the future by the Chinese authorities.

The securing of market access was the culmination of intensive efforts by his department in conjunction with An Bord Bia and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ireland is now globally recognised for having an advanced animal breeding structure, he said.

Mr Smith paid tribute to the work of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation in ensuring that livestock breeding in Ireland has benefited from the application of the latest technologies to the livestock breeding sector.