Smith welcomes lifting of Indonesian ban on Irish beef

A DECISION by the Indonesian authorities to lift the ban on the importation of Irish beef, which has been in place since 2001, has been welcomed by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

Exports of Irish beef to Indonesia in the year the ban was imposed for BSE-related reasons exceeded 24,000 tonnes, worth over €28.5 million.

The market is being reopened under conditions recommended by Indonesian experts who visited Ireland last June. These include a requirement that the meat originate from cattle under 48 months of age.