€1.6m beef campaign reactivated as access to China returns
Beef shipments to China had been suspended following the confirmation in November 2023 of an isolated case of atypical BSE in a cow.
Bord Bia has reactivated its €1.6m EU co-funded beef and lamb campaign in China in response to Ireland regaining export access to this market.
The resumption of access for Irish beef exports to China was confirmed on Wednesday.
Beef shipments to China had been suspended following the confirmation in November 2023 of an isolated case of atypical BSE in a cow.
The resumption of exports follows high-level discussions between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Chinese Premier Li Qiang this week.
Bord Bia chief executive Jim O'Toole said this is "welcome news" for the Irish beef sector and "allows our beef exporters to immediately recommence trade with their Chinese customers".
As part of the €1.6m campaign, Bord Bia said it will be inviting Irish exporters to exhibit at SIAL China, a meat trade show held in Shanghai in May.
"We will also host Irish beef information seminars in Beijing in March and Shanghai in May, inviting Chinese beef buyers and stakeholders," Mr O'Toole added.
According to CSO figures, over 3,200 tonnes of Irish beef, valued at €19.7m, were exported to China in 2023 prior to the November suspension.
Speaking from Shanghai, Bord Bia’s China manager Conor O’Sullivan said: "Since Irish beef was first granted access to the Chinese market in 2018, Bord Bia’s Shanghai office and Irish exporters have been building close trading relationships with Chinese customers.
"When the Chinese market reopened in January 2023 after the previous suspension, there was immediate interest from Chinese buyers.
"The medium-term forecast for the Chinese beef market is positive as we expect Chinese consumer demand for beef to grow steadily throughout the year."
Meat Industry Ireland, the Ibec sector organisation representing the primary beef processing companies in Ireland, said this "significant development" of regained access will "empower our member companies to enhance trade opportunities with valued customers in China".
"The suspension of beef exports was a regrettable setback, occurring amidst ongoing efforts to strengthen relationships and expand the types of beef product that we can export to China," MII said.
"This demonstrates the robustness of the Irish beef sector in international export markets."
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association beef chairman Edmund Graham has welcomed the regained access, but stressed that farmers "must see a dividend as a result this time".
"We have fought hard once again to get Irish beef back into the Chinese market and the opportunity is there to really make that market count, and count for the primary producers of beef, not just the processors," Mr Graham said.
"Beef farmers are enduring yet another long, hard, and expensive winter and the current price of beef is still not enough to cover our increased cost of production.
"Beef price needs to go to a base price of a least €6.00/kg in the short term to cover the costs of this winter."
