China reopens €20m Irish pig market

TWO major boosts for the Irish meat industry were announced yesterday in Beijing and Dublin.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith confirmed the Chinese market has been fully re-opened to Irish pigmeat with immediate potential for €20 million in trade.

He announced the move following meetings he had in Beijing with the Chinese Minister for Agriculture Han Changfu and Quality, Supervision and Inspection Minister Wang Yong.

Meanwhile, in Dublin, Tesco announced that it is increasing the amount of certified Irish Aberdeen Angus beef it will sell in its Irish stores each year to €12 million.

The retail giant announced that a group of 1,900 certified Irish Aberdeen Angus farmers will supply their beef to the company this year.

The new deal will see three additional products added to the Tesco range and is expected to result in an additional 10% increase in sales.

Regarding the Chinese market for Irish pork, this had been closed since the dioxin incident here 18 months ago but all countries have now reopened their markets to Ireland.

Mr Smith, speaking in Beijing, said he believed that the potential for trade in the re-opened market can be built upon significantly in the years ahead.

During yesterday’s meetings he said he also pressed for the opening of the Chinese market to Irish beef and other meat products. He called for intensified dialogue between the two countries on the issue.

Irish Farmers’ Association Pigs and Pigmeat Committee chairman Tim Cullinan, who welcomed the move, said processors must immediately lift prices to viable levels for producers.